Joel Embiid ready to make French crowd 'suck it' after boos throughout the Games
Joel Embiid has been booed throughout the Olympics after opting to play for Team USA over France, but the Philadelphia 76ers star is ready to hand it straight back when the U.S. faces France for gold tonight.
Embiid had considered representing France at these Games before ultimately opting to represent the United States, telling The New York Times ahead of the Olympics that it had been a “tough” choice but that he had felt rushed by France pressuring him into a decision.
Embiid has been booed pretty much whenever he has touched the ball in France as a result, but Embiid says he is thriving in that hostile atmosphere and is expecting a fun matchup when he meets France in the gold medal game.
“Frankly, I don’t understand why I’ve gotten a lot of criticism from the crowd,” Embiid said when asked by NBC News during a media call Friday whether the booing would give him extra motivation for tonight's gold medal game against the hosts. “Having a family, having built a lot of things and having to accomplish a lot of things in the U.S., and then knowing the group of guys deeply, it just made it easy [to opt for the U.S.].”
“I think a lot of people want it to be the storyline, but to me, it’s all about whatever it takes to win the gold. It’s all about Team USA against France.”
With a wry smile on his face, Embiid added: “I know myself. I’m going to interact and I’m going to enjoy it. They’re gonna boo me. I’m gonna go back at them and tell them to suck it. And so it’s going to be fun.”
Basketball: USA and France met in Tokyo for gold, too
Today's gold medal game between Team USA and France is a rematch of the contest three years ago in Tokyo.
Team USA won that game, 87-82, behind 14-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant, who had a game-high 29 points.
Durant, 35, is looking to become the first male athlete to win four gold medals in a team sport.
Breakdancing: Here's who topped the podium
Gold: Phil Wizard (Canada)
Silver: Dany Dann (France)
Bronze: Victor (USA)
4th place: Shigekix (Japan)
Breakdancing: Gold goes to Canada, silver to France
It's been two long days of breaking, and history was made. The first — and possibly only — breaking medals have been awarded in Paris.
In the last battle for at least eight long Olympic years, Phil Wizard won gold and Dany Dann will take home silver.
This felt less like a battle and more like two friends showing each other their new tricks. Before it kicked off, the two embraced, knowing that they’d each earn a medal at the very least.
And throughout, Dany Dann and Phil Wizard were interacting heavily, laughing and smiling along as one dissed the other in between their best breaking skills. They ended the battle with a hug, too.
The crowd was on Dany Dann's side all day. The blue-haired Frenchman was a heavy hometown favorite throughout, and each time he took the stage, their screams seemed to get louder.
Some Canadian flags were seen flying through the sea of blue, white and red, in support of world champion Phil Wizard, too, who didn't let the cheering for his French opponent throw him off.
Phil Wizard celebrated with an unofficial fourth round, a huge smile plastered to his face as he threw a few more tricks for the crowd.
Athletics: U.S. wins women’s 4x400m relay, sets American record
The U.S. blew the competition out of the water in the closing event of this Games’ track and field.
The Americans took gold in the women’s 4x400-meter relay in the hands of Alexis Holmes by a huge margin.
Shamier Little performed an impressive first lap, but it was the second lap that proved decisive, with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone building in a comfortable gap for the team, which Gabby Thomas helped increase in the third lap. Holmes took it home in 3:15.27, setting a new American record.
Shockingly, Jamaica fell out of the race in the second lap, clearing the way for the Netherlands to take silver and Great Britain to take bronze.
Men's breaking bronze goes to Team USA's Victor
Victor and Shigekix both had a lot to prove in the bronze medal battle.
Victor entered La Concorde the reigning world champion. Shigekix the top seed of the Olympic contest. It was their second battle of the night.
Ultimately, Victor came out victorious.
Shigekix showed off his conditioning and skill at the young age of 22. But Victor has years of experience under his belt — the 30-year-old has been breaking since he was a kid.
Victor has remained relatively stoic throughout the competition, but took some chances to rally the crowd in his final showing. They showed up for the breakdancing legend.
Shigekix's high-difficulty power moves couldn't get him a place on the podium, even though head spin after head spin left the crowd in dizzying delight.
Basketball: USA takes on France for gold
In just moments, France and its young superstar Victor Wembanyama will take on NBA stars for the U.S. men's basketball team as it seeks its fifth consecutive gold medal.
The U.S. is coming off a thrilling come-from-behind victory against Serbia in the semifinal, winning after clutch plays from LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.
For James, this will be his final Olympics, as he's already disclosed he won't participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant has an opportunity to become the most successful men's basketball player in Olympic history if he can capture his fourth gold medal.
4x400m: Quincy the 16-year-old record-breaker
With that Team USA win in the men’s 4x400-meter relay, Quincy Wilson, just 16 years old, becomes the youngest Olympic track-and-field gold medalist.
Though he didn’t race in the final, the Team USA alternate broke the record set at London 1948 set by then 17-year-old Bob Mathias.
Wilson is also the youngest American male Olympic medalist in any sport since diver Greg Louganis won gold, also aged 16, at Montreal 1976. And he is the youngest male American gold medalist in any sport since 1952.
There was a lovely moment during that race when cameras caught him yelling his teammates along with wild enthusiasm. A bright career awaits.
American Shelby McEwen wins silver in men's high jump
After a jump-off that seemed to take an eternity, Team USA’s Shelby McEwen was beaten to the gold medal by New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr.
McEwen picked up the silver after an epic one-on-one battle, some of which was playing out, as if often the case with Olympic track and field, as the men’s 4x400-meter was simultaneously racing around this arena.
Kerr finally won with a height of 2.34 meters.
Breakdancing: Women's podium reminder
Yesterday, Japan topped the women's breaking podium. Today, their only hope is a bronze medal.
Gold: Ami (Japan)
Silver: Nicka (Lithuania)
Bronze: 671 (China)
4th place: India (Netherlands)