Former Knicks draft pick Frederic Weis has harshly criticized Joel Embiid for choosing to play for Team USA instead of France in the Olympics. Weis, known for being dunked on by Vince Carter in the 2000 Olympics, expressed his disdain for Embiid on his French radio show, calling him a “dirty guy” and accusing him of betraying the French team.
“I consider this boy a great player as much as he is a dirty guy. I hate him for the things that he did,” Weis said. “I think he doesn’t have any respect for France and also for all the people who are asking for a French passport and don’t get it. And under the pretext that he is a great athlete, he got it. I find it scandalous, I find it embarrassing. I don’t care about his excuses, cause they are his words, and his words mean nothing.”
Embiid, who was born in Cameroon and holds French and American citizenship, could have chosen to represent any of those three countries. Despite denying it, the general manager of the French men’s team, Boris Diaw, mentioned that Embiid initially expressed interest in playing for France.
Reports also surfaced about a letter Embiid wrote to French President Emmanuel Macron requesting “French naturalization” to play for the country. However, much to France’s disappointment, Embiid ultimately decided to join Team USA and provided his reasoning.
In response, Weis humorously suggested that Embiid should be banned from entering France for the Olympics. He jokingly proposed revoking Embiid’s French nationality and preventing him from participating in the games.
“I would take away from him the French nationality and I would ban him from entering France. You will not play in the Olympics,” Weis said. “You will come to the airport with Team USA and we will say, ‘You don’t have the right to enter the territory, go to your home. You are Cameroonian, you are American, you are not French, go away.’”
