Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers has officially become an American citizen.
Embiid revealed Thursday to the Associated Press during 76ers’ training camp that he was sworn in as a citizen earlier in the month in Philadelphia.
“I’ve been here for a long time,” Embiid told the AP. He added, “my son is American. I felt like, I’m living here and it’s a blessing to be an American. So I said, why not?”
Joel Embiid went through the Process and is now a US citizen 🇺🇸
“I’ve been here for a long time. My son is American. I felt I’m living here and it’s a blessing to be an American.
So I said why not?”To @APgelston pic.twitter.com/rZQBIQydqf
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) September 29, 2022
The All-Star center grew up in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and moved to the U.S. when he was 16 years old, according to the AP. From there, Embiid graduated from high school in Florida and went on to play one season at Kansas before getting drafted by the 76ers in 2014. (RELATED: ‘Biggest Violations Of Human Rights’: Kyrie Irving Goes Off On Eric Adams Over Vaccine Mandate)
In a time where professional athletes tend to talk badly about the United States, it’s nice to see a player of Embiid’s stature be proud to live here.
Over the summer, NBA poster child LeBron James said Brittney Griner should rethink wanting to come back to the U.S. after she was detained in Russia for being in possession of a banned hash oil. James’ comments about Griner’s arrest compared the freest country to ever exist to an oligarchy, as if the U.S.A is as bad.
In 2019, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr even compared the Chinese communist dictatorship who is responsible for millions of deaths due to their policies to America because of the few hundred deaths that stemmed from the use of a rifle from 2017 in the U.S.
Embiid touting how America is a good place to live should speak much louder than any woke celebrity or athlete that shames our country publicly.