Boris Diaw spoke about the Joel Embiid case on Tuesday at a press conference before the French team’s qualifying matches for the 2023 World Cup. The general manager of Les Bleus was asked about the progress of the request for naturalization of the NBA stars: “Did it move? I do not know. You have to ask him if he has his passport. Last I heard, he doesn’t have it yet. »
Right thumb and left index finger surgery
While keeping the conditional, Boris Diaw did not however close the door to a selection of the Philadelphia Sixers player for the France team. “Yes, if he has his passport and he becomes French and selectable, of course it’s someone who would be in the pipes. »
Before calming things down: “The day when it will be obtained, it will be another subject to make a selection and to take the players who have the capacity to carry this team of France while remaining in the state of mind of the group. […] Beyond the papers, he had an operation on his hand and we don’t recover quickly, he recalled.
READ ALSO. Basketball. Who is Joel Embiid, the NBA star who is getting closer to the France team?
Victim of several injuries to his hands and orbit during the playoffs, Embiid had surgery on his right thumb and left index finger. According to his team, the Cameroonian is expected to be reinstated for training camp next fall. Before Eurobasket (September 1 to 18), the Blues travel to Montenegro (July 1) before receiving Hungary (July 4) as part of the 2023 World Cup qualifiers.