Basketball Without Borders: Comparative Media Analysis of Joel Embiid’s Choice to Represent Team USA at the 2024 Olympic Games

Kelsey Slater, Noah Backes, Timothy Ford Bryson, College of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, United States, Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences, North Dakota State University, United States, Department of Athletics, Stanford University, United States, College of Education, University of Maryland - College Park, College Park, United States

Communication & Sport

Published online on February 03, 2026

Abstract

Communication & Sport, Ahead of Print.
Joel Embiid, the 2023 National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player, born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, competed and won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics with Team USA. However, his decision to play for Team USA was not without controversy. Embiid ...