Photo : Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0
Joel Embiid
The centre from Yaoundé who became NBA MVP
Born in 1994
Related city : Yaoundé
Who are they?
A centre born in Yaoundé in 1994, the son of a Cameroonian army officer. Originally headed for volleyball, he took up basketball at 15, was spotted at Luc Mbah a Moute’s camp and moved to the United States at 16, playing one season at the University of Kansas.
What made them famous
Picked third in the 2014 draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, he missed his first two seasons through injury before establishing himself among the league’s best players. The NBA’s leading scorer in 2022 and 2023, he was named MVP for the 2022–23 season.
Key facts
- Seven All-Star selections, as of 1 October 2026.
- Granted French and then US citizenship in 2022, he chose to play for the United States and won Olympic gold with them in Paris in 2024.
- He has spent his entire NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers, who drafted him in 2014.