Former Champion Makes Bold Claim of Sixers Star Joel Embiid

Sixers center lands high praise after Team USA performance.

Aug 8, 2024; Paris, France; United States centre Joel Embiid (11) and Serbia power forward Nikola Jokic (15) take the opening tip-off in a men's basketball semifinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Last Thursday, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid and Team USA found themselves with an opportunity to punch their ticket to the gold medal game. Things looked shaky for a large portion of the matchup, but the star-studded roster managed to pull off a thrilling comeback in the final minutes.

Among the players to help spark Team USA’s fourth quarter surge was Embiid. The former MVP had one of his best performances of the tournament, totaling 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field.

A lot of eyes were on Embiid in this matchup due to who Team USA was facing. Squaring off against Serbia, the Sixers center was slated to do battle with Nikola Jokic for the second time in the Summer Games.

Embiid had a lackluster showing against Serbia the first time around, but that wasn’t the case on Thursday. Following his impressive outing, one former champion had extremely high praise for the superstar big man.

Among the people to share their thoughts on the thrilling semifinal matchup was longtime NBA guard Nick Young. He claimed that Embiid proved that he is the best center in the NBA on a global stage.

Embiid show the world he the best big man in the league today

— Nick Young (@NickSwagyPYoung) August 8, 2024

Jokic had a strong outing himself, finishing the game with 17 points, five rebounds, and 11 assists. However, it wasn’t enough to lead Serbia to an upset win over the United States.

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Following this victory, there was just one team standing in Embiid and Team USA’s way of a gold medal. On Saturday, USA and France battled it out for the gold.

Embiid and Team USA wrapped up the Olympic run by defeating France 98-87. The Sixers big man now returns to Philadelphia as a gold medalist heading into the 2024-2025 season.

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