By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
France center Moustapha Fall commented on NBA superstar Joel Embiid obtaining French citizenship and potentially joining the national team in future competitions. Fall was a member of the French squad that won the silver medal in the 2021 Olympic Games.
Here’s what Fall, a player of Olympiacos Piraeus, said per RMC Sport:
“I’m not a guy who projects himself so I don’t worry about it at all. If he’s there, for sure we have to take him. He’s a player who can be MVP in NBA every day. “Seeing him play with Rudy Gobert… that can be something, especially since [coach] Vincent Collet likes to play big, he can play with two centers at the same time. Embiid is able to shoot as well, so even the “4” position will be affected.”
“Of course, I am concerned. In terms of ethics, it can be a problem, because we never do that. But, on the other hand, the rules are the rules, so we play by the rules. If he’s there, we’ll have to deal with it. It’s the law of the sport: if there’s someone better than you, he plays, it’s simple.”
The news about Embiid receiving a French passport emerged a week after American guard Lorenzo Brown officially got Spanish citizenship with the purpose of playing in the EuroBasket with La Roja. The decision of the Spanish Federation to use a naturalized player was received with mild criticism by national team captain Rudy Fernandez due to Brown’s lack of ties with Spain.