Joel Embiid is honored in Cameroon after gold medal win with Team USA

Joel Embiid may have chosen to play for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics, but he’s still beloved in his home country, Cameroon. Fresh off a gold medal in Paris, Embiid returned home and received the Commander of the Order of Valor medal from Cameroon’s minister of sports and physical education.

The honor, originally announced on May 22, 2023, celebrates the Sixers star’s many basketball achievements, including the 2023 NBA MVP award.

“It’s [worth] more than the gold medal,” Embiid said of the honor. “Thank you to the minister, my family, and the Cameroonian people who support me. I come from Cameroon, and, as I always say, that will never change.”

The Order of Valor medal is given to Cameroonians who make “exceptional contributions in the fields of arts, science, agriculture, commerce, or industry.”

“Joel Embiid’s success is a testament to the talent and determination that Cameroonian athletes possess,” minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi said during the ceremony. “This award recognizes his contributions to the development of basketball and the inspiration he provides to future generations.”

Embiid was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and lived there until he was 16, when he moved to Florida to further his basketball career.

Cameroon ultimately did not qualify for the 2024 Olympics in basketball, after Embiid chose to compete for Team USA and Pacers star Pascal Siakam missed the Olympic qualifying tournament. But after the gold medal, Embiid suggested he may reconsider playing for Cameroon at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

“It’s been a good experience,” Embiid said. “It’s been a grind, being away from home and family for a few weeks. But the group of guys we have made it easy. Paris is a great city, and the next one is LA. It might not be with Team USA. It might be with Cameroon.”