For one of the team's linchpins, the Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, the most complicated challenge may have been choosing to play for the United States in the first place. Embiid, who is 30, is a native of Cameroon who also holds French and American citizenship.
But things never go easily for Embiid. He is one of the sport's best players but also something of a Sisyphean figure. For all his success including an M.V.P. award in 2023 and multiple scoring titles he has never achieved the N.B.A.'s biggest prize: a championship.
That combination of iffy management and just plain bad luck have cast the shadow of unfulfilled potential over Embiid's decade-long career. So in some ways, the Games are a chance for a little redemption.
Can you talk about what it means for you to be playing for the United States? It means a lot. I've spent half of my life here. I've got a great family, great wife, my son, so it just made a lot of sense.
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