Joel Embiid sees the future in blue.
Four years after a controversy caused by a declaration by the Cameroonian pivot about his interest in the Blues, it seems that the NBA superstar has never been so close to wearing the tricolor jersey.
At 28, the Philadelphia 76ers player has even initiated administrative procedures in France, according to information from RMC Sport.
A stay in France would be planned by the end of June to finalize the file.
In basketball, FIBA rules allow only one naturalized player per national team.
If Embiid, who has family in France, obtains his naturalization, he will therefore be able to play with Nicolas Batum, Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier, even if the latter, like Tony Parker, had opposed this type of selection four years ago.
At the time general manager of the French Basketball Federation, Patrick Beesley had declared that the arrival of the native of Yaoundé in the France team was possible.
There had already been contacts, two years earlier.
Strongly courted by Cameroon, whose jersey he has never worn in official competition, the NBA's top scorer for the 2021-2022 regular season, who seems at the top of his game, would be a reinforcement of choice for Vincent Collet.
In the racket, he could form a luxury pair with Rudy Gobert at Paris 2024.