Vincent Collet admitted he was glad Joel Embiid didn't join France for the Paris Olympics, as he believes the national team should rely on its homegrown core. While he acknowledged Embiid's elite talent, Collet said his concerns were more about fit and chemistry than the MVP’s ability or dedication.
Former French national team head coach Vincent Collet admitted he was pleased that NBA superstar Joel Embiid chose to represent Team USA instead of joining France for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"I was happy Embiid didn't come last year," Collet told BasketNews at the B8 Summit in Vilnius last week.
"I think we don't need that," he added, referring to the naturalization of players on national teams.
"I can understand why teams are doing it, but for me, it's not fair," Collet continued. "Most often, it's point guards, because it's a weakness of European countries."
Collet coached France from 2009 to 2024, leading the team to 13 medals across the Olympics, FIBA World Cup, and EuroBasket competitions.
Vincent Collet
Vincent Collet
Credit Mickael Chavet/ZUMA Press Wire - Scanpix
In a follow-up conversation with BasketNews, Collet expanded on his stance.
He revealed that he was powerless to oppose France's pursuit of naturalizing Embiid, especially with the decision coming from high-ranking officials.
"I couldn't really do that because it was coming from even higher—like the Minister," Collet explained. "It was something big. The Olympic Games were in France, and they thought it was, for us, insurance to be better."
"But for me, it wasn't that clear," he said.
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"We already had very good big men. We already had challenges making them play together, so it would be the same. I knew Victor [Wembanyama] would be coming. We had Gobert, Poirier, and Mustafa Fall before. It would have changed the team completely."
Ultimately, Embiid joined Team USA and helped lead them to a gold medal in Paris.
He averaged 11.2 points (57.7% 2PT, 54.5% 3PT), 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and a 12.0 efficiency rating in just 17 minutes per game.
In the gold medal game against France, he posted 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Embiid was booed throughout the Olympics by the French crowd, but he embraced the villain role.
"For sure, he's a fantastic player, but from a team spirit perspective... even if he speaks French and has French ties, I think it's not very good for our basketball," Collet said.
The Origins of the Embiid Naturalization Process
Collet noted that the initiative to naturalize Embiid actually came from the player himself.
"It was very special because I think it came from Embiid at the beginning. He was the first one to ask if he could get naturalized because he wanted to play in the Olympic Games. He thought he couldn't play with Cameroon, and that's why he asked. Sure, if he had been naturalized, he would've been part of the team—no question."
Looking ahead, Collet doesn't believe France will rely on naturalized players to stay competitive.
"I know now it's kind of a tradition almost everywhere. Very few countries, like Serbia, Lithuania, and France, are not using naturalized players," he concluded. "I think the French national team will follow the same path regardless."
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Donatas Urbonas
Donatas Urbonas is an award-winning Lithuanian basketball journalist, recognized as the best sports journalist in Lithuania in 2016 and the top basketball journalist in 2018. A Vilnius University journalism graduate, Urbonas has reported on major global sports events, including the Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 Olympics, FIBA World Cups, EuroBaskets, NBA Summer League, and NBA Draft.
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