This year, The Philadelphia 76ers Star Joel Embiid spent his offseason a little differently. After being signed by several teams, he made the decision to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Embiid joined the NBA’s all-star roster to compete for the United States, but he had the opportunity to play for another top team in France. It turned out to be the right decision, as he ended up leaving the Olympics with a gold medal.
Embiid had a rough start at the Olympics, but he managed to turn things around toward the end. His best performance arguably came against Serbia in the semifinals, where he helped spark a massive comeback by the United States.
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Even though the Sixers star ended the season on a high note, one former player believes the decision to play was a mistake. On Gilbert Arenas’ podcast, Kenyon Martin (father of Sixers forward KJ Martin) said Embiid shouldn’t have spent the summer preparing his body for the 2025 season.
“Yeah, I think he should have rested,” Martin said“He worked on his lower body, he strengthened his legs. He has to be ready for the season. I think it was a mistake.”
Martin brings up some valid points, considering Embiid was dealing with a knee injury late in the season. That said, he did manage to qualify for the Olympics and was able to win a gold medal. Overall, the experience should be viewed as a positive.
Now that the Summer Games are behind him, Embiid can start preparing his body for the upcoming NBA season. Along with Tyrese Maxey and newly signed Paul George, the Sixers have put themselves in a strong position to compete for the title.
