United States national team center Joel Embiid shared his thoughts on his participation in the national team training camp. Currently, the Americans are preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“When you get the opportunity to play alongside some of the greatest players of all time, it’s a really enjoyable experience. You have to adapt your game to fit in. Everybody here has an incredibly high basketball IQ, so a lot of that comes pretty naturally,” Embiid said at a news conference.
“Playing with someone like Steph Curry, all you have to do is give him the freedom to operate, and he’s either going to attack himself or create opportunities for me or someone else. It’s the same thing with LeBron – he makes the game so easy for his teammates.”
Embiid, who is coming off an MVP-caliber season with the Philadelphia 76ers, acknowledged the challenge of combining his own dominant presence inside with the perimeter skills of superstars like Curry and James.
“It’s about finding that balance, understanding my role and how I can complement the other guys. I’m not trying to do too much or take away from what they do best. Instead, I’m focusing on using my size and strength to cause problems inside, while also being ready to knock down open shots or make the extra pass when defenses collapse on me.
The 29-year-old center also highlighted the mentorship he receives from the team's veteran leaders. "Guys like LeBron, Steph, Kevin Durant, they've been there and done it all. I'm absorbing as much knowledge as I can from them, about leadership, preparation, managing the grind of an Olympic campaign. That experience is invaluable.
Embiid believes Team USA's depth of talent and experience gives them a great chance to reclaim the gold medal in Paris. "We have so many versatile, high-IQ players who can impact the game in different ways. When we're all clicking and playing unselfish basketball, I don't think there's a team in the world that can beat us."
