Former KU center Joel Embiid strikes gold as USA basketball upends France in Olympics

Former University of Kansas men’s basketball center Joel Embiid is a gold medal winner at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

Embiid, a 7-foot, 280-pound, 30-year-old U.S. citizen born in Cameroon, scored four points, grabbed three rebounds, dished two assists and had one steal while starting and playing 11 minutes in Team USA’s 98-87 championship victory over host France on Saturday in Paris.

Embiid went 4 for 4 from the line but took (and missed) just one shot from the field as the U.S. completed a 6-0 run at the Paris Games.

Guard Stephen Curry hit eight 3-pointers and scored 24 points for the winning U.S. team. LeBron James added 14 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each scored 15 points as Team USA won its fifth consecutive gold at the Olympics.

Victor Wembanyama led France with 26 points.

Embiid’s gold medal marks the 14th time a Jayhawk has won gold at the Olympics. He’s KU’s first gold medal winner in basketball since Lynette Woodard won gold with Team USA’s women’s basketball squad in 1984 in Los Angeles.

Jo Jo White was the last KU athlete to win a gold medal in men’s hoops — in 1968 in Mexico City.

Embiid is the first Kansas men’s basketball player since Sasha Kaun to participate in the Olympic Games. Kaun won a bronze medal while representing Russia in the 2012 Olympics in London. Before Embiid, the last KU player to play for the USA National Team was Danny Manning in 1988.

Team USA posted an 11-0 record throughout this summer, going 5-0 against Olympic competition in the USA Basketball Showcase (July 10-22) and 6-0 in the Olympic Games. In Paris, Team USA defeated Serbia (110-84), South Sudan (103-86) and Puerto Rico (104-83) in pool play and Brazil (122-87) in the quarterfinals, Serbia (95-91) in the semifinals and France in the gold-medal game.

Embiid played in five of the six games in Paris, starting those five and averaging 11.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. He averaged 13.0 points in the final four games. He had 19 points (including six off a pair of 3s), four rebounds and two assists in Team USA’s semifinal win over Serbia. His defense was also key in Team USA’s 17-point comeback win.

At the start of the third quarter in Saturday’s final, he went 4 for 4 at the foul line, threw a 3/4-court pass to James for an assist and was effective on defense against France’s big men Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert.

Embiid had a big smile on his face while pumping his left fist, clapping his hands and waving his arms to the crowd that booed him as he was presented his gold medal.

In October 2023, Embiid announced plans to represent the United States at the Games instead of France, which had extended an invitation. Embiid, who was booed throughout the six games in Paris because of his decision to pick Team USA over France, became a U.S. citizen in September 2022.

Embiid, who played at KU during the 2013-14 season, was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by Philadelphia. The 2023 NBA MVP has been selected to seven NBA All-Star games, is a five-time all-NBA honoree and has been named to the NBA all-defense team three times. Embiid led the NBA in scoring in 2022 and 2023.

While at KU, Embiid played in 28 games and started 20. In his freshman one-and-done season he averaged 11.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Embiid was named the 2014 Big 12 defensive player of the year and was an all-Big 12 second-team selection.

Embiid set the Kansas freshman record for most blocked shots in a game with eight rejections against Oklahoma State. He also set the Kansas freshman record for most rebounds per game (8.1) and most blocks in a single freshman season (72). He posted the highest field-goal percentage in a freshman season at Kansas (62.6%).

KU Men’s Basketball Olympians

Joel Embiid (2024): Gold

Charles Hoag (1952): Gold

Bill Hougland (1952, 1956): Gold, Gold

Sasha Kaun, Russia (2012): Bronze

John Keller (1952): Gold

Allen Kelley (1960): Gold

Dean Kelley (1952): Gold

Robert Kenney (1952): Gold

Bill Lienhard (1952): Gold

Clyde Lovellette (1952): Gold

Danny Manning (1988): Bronze

Darnell Valentine: (1980; U.S. did not participate)

Jo Jo White (1968:) Gold

Phog Allen (1952): Gold, asst. coach

Larry Brown (2004:) Bronze, asst. coach

Roy Williams (2004): Bronze, asst. coach

Arthur Lonborg (1960): Gold, manager

Dean Nesmith (1960): Gold, trainer