Embiid, letter to President Macron emerges: he promised to play with France

Joel Embiid had promised President Macron that he would play with France. The letter published by RMC written by the Philadelphia 76ers center to French President Emmanuel Macron, in which he expressed his willingness to play with “Les Bleus,” has the resounding. Despite the promise made, Embiid will be in Paris 2024 with Team USA, thus abandoning his desire to take the court alongside Victor Wembanyama and teammates.

Mr. President,

I know your sincere interest in basketball and its development and, more generally, in the sport that brings honor to France. However, I am not writing to tell you about the NBA season that is opening and for which I have high hopes with my club, the Philadelphia 76ers. I am now in a leadership role and aspire to make my club a serious title contender.

I am writing to tell you about France. Although I spent most of my youth in the United States and France, I am a Cameroonian national. I was born in 1994 in Yaoundé. Cameroon will therefore always remain an important part of my identity. However, another one is French. Part of my family is in fact French, and in addition to sharing the language, I have often stayed in France. As soon as I get a chance, I visit my aunts Suzanne and Lucie, who live in Courtry and Courcouronnes, and my first cousin Pierre, who lives in Evry. I have fond memories of my summer vacations spent in France, such as the summer of 2009, during which I was able to spend the entire month of July enjoying the capital. In addition, I still travel regularly to Paris, where I would like to acquire a second permanent home.

Moreover, after discussions with the French Basketball Federation, my choice has been made. I would like to take the steps to obtain French naturalization and thus be eligible for selection with the Blues. I therefore do not wish to play for any other national team. I have sent a dossier to that effect to the Ministry of the Interior and Foreign Affairs.

I have never worn the colors of a national team. It would be an immense honor for me to join this French team to participate in the next major international competitions, first and foremost the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

I value the solemnity of my request, what it represents, what it means, but also, in some respects, its duration and complexity compared to the usual criteria for granting nationality. I therefore ask for your support for these initiatives, support without which they cannot succeed.

I am of course at your and your departments’ disposal to support this common ambition that we share with the French basketball team and its leaders.

Thanking you for your attention to my request, I ask you to believe, Mr. President, in the expression of my deepest consideration.

Joel Embiid