Knicks’ Evan Fournier: Joel Embiid to Team USA ‘good for the Olympics’

Knicks forward Evan Fournier said he’s not surprised superstar Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid chose to join USA Basketball over the French Federation for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Embiid, the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player of the Year, is a Cameroon native who wields dual citizenship both in the United States and France.

Fournier said he attempted to recruit Embiid to Team France a summer ago but his efforts have come up short.

“Joel and the French Federation, they’ve been in contact for a while,” the French Knicks forward said during training camp in Charleston, SC. “If I’m not mistaken, it was actually Joel who started the contact with the French Federation. So yeah, we did have an exchange last summer.”

Fournier admitted Embiid’s decision to join Team USA bolsters an already stacked American basketball roster.

Before Embiid’s commitment, the center position was the only hole in USA Basketball’s loaded roster set to include household superstar names, including LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Kawhi Leonard.

USA Basketball now has its starting five. Embiid averaged 33 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and 1.7 blocks per game in his MVP season for the 76ers last year. He will become one of the most dominant big men to ever wear a Team USA Olympic jersey.

“I think it makes them better for sure,” Fournier said. “They’ve been saying they need a dominant big man and now they have one. So they’re better. It’s good for basketball, for the Olympics. I think basketball is gonna be the main event in Paris next year, so it’s good for the sport.”

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau also has ties to Team USA, serving as an assistant coach during the 2016 Rio Olympic run. Thibodeau found out Embiid committed to USA Basketball when a reporter informed him during after a day of training camp.

“Oh, I didn’t see that. That’s great. Great,” the Knicks coach said. “I’m excited. I think any time you get a player of that magnitude, it’s great for USA. So I’m excited about that.”

Embiid said he chose Team USA in large part because his newborn son is American.

“It was tough. Obviously, I love all three options, with my home country, which I love a lot,” the Sixers’ center told reporters during training camp on Thursday. “But I really wanted to participate in the Olympics. That’s been my goal and my dream, and you add that with the fact that my son is American, and I’ve been here for such a long time. I feel like for the past few years, every major decision has been based on family.

“My family, my son, and having a chance to represent the U.S. and my son being born here. … I love my home country, but ultimately, I really wanted to play in the Olympics.”

Team USA is 7-1 all-time against France in the Olympics but 2-1 in their last three matchups against the French. The two wins have been decided by just eight combined points, and the loss came in the first round of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where Fournier’s 28-point effort powered a seven-point victory for Team France.

Knicks star Julius Randle also expressed interest in joining Team USA, but knows there’s a long list of players he’ll have to compete against for a roster spot.

“I had an opportunity a couple years ago, but some other things happened,” Randle said during Knicks Content Day last Monday. “Honestly I would love to play. Physically and mentally, I’d be healthy enough to do so. But they’ll have no shortage of options next summer, I guarantee it.”

HART, ARCIDIACONO OUT FOR PRESEASON OPENER

The Knicks rested Josh Hart and Ryan Arcidiacono in the preseason opener against the Boston Celtics for maintenance purposes, Thibodeau said ahead of tip-off on Monday.

Thibodeau said the starters are the usuals from last season: Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes, R.J. Barrett, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson.

Thibodeau said the Knicks will limit the minutes the starters play in the preseason opener in order to give end-of-the-rotation players minutes. He also said during training camp he expects each regular rotation player to rest one of the four preseason games before the Oct. 25 home regular season opener against the Boston Celtics.

“Yeah just get your feet wet,” Thibodeau explained as his minutes limit philosophy for the preseason opener on Monday. “[It will] sort of be a lot lighter, bigger rotation. We’ll see how that unfolds, but it’ll be much shorter than normal.”