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"I don't think it should be anything, but if
it's more than that, I embrace it," Embiid told the Athletic at
Team USA training camp in Las Vegas.
"I don't think you can get worse than playing in New York in the
playoffs."
The Philadelphia 76ers star was labeled the "most hated man in
New York" by New York tabloids and booed mercilessly at Madison
Square Garden during the first round of this year's NBA
playoffs, which the Knicks won in six games.
The 30-year-old big man previously said it was not easy deciding
which country to play for but ultimately chose the U.S. over
France because of the length of time he had lived in the country
and the fact that his son was born in the United States.
The U.S. fell to France in the group stage of the Tokyo Games in
a loss that snapped a 25-game winning streak but eked out a win
in the final to claim their 17th gold medal.
France, led by Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama, is again
expected to present a challenge for the U.S. on the
international stage and in response the U.S. has assembled a
roster boasting a dizzying array of talent.
The 12-man team includes Embiid, who won the NBA's MVP award in
2023, the NBA's all-time leading scorer LeBron James, three-time
Olympic champion Kevin Durant and three-point shooting great
Stephen Curry, who are all expected to start.
The U.S. takes on reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Serbia in
their first group stage match on July 28 in Lille, France.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; editing by Diane
Craft) [© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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