Whenever Team USA stepped on the court, whether it was LeBron James or Joel Embiid, it showcased some quality-looking sneakers. After James donned his gold custom signature shoes against France, Embiid was surprised by Skechers with his own special edition gold sneakers.
It was the perfect way to celebrate his first Olympic gold medal, through special sneakers from the $8.3 billion (as per Forbes) shoe brand.
Back on April 2, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported about the 76ers star’s signing with Skechers to be the face of their basketball division. He originally donned the Skechers SKX Float in a stylish white-black-and-orange colorway on his return, on the same date, in a 109-105 win against the OKC Thunder.
When it comes to the basketball sneaker world, it has been dominated by the likes of Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, Air Jordan and even the impressive rise of New Balance.
Skechers’ marketing of Embiid is part of their plan to slowly establish a presence in a sphere filled with prominent shoe brands, who each have iconic athletes under their name.
This was evident with this year’s Team USA Men’s Basketball roster which had several Nike athletes, including Suns’ Kevin Durant and Lakers’ LeBron James. The popular sneaker brand didn’t stop there as they made sure that the shoes their athletes wore made a lasting impression on viewers.
Adidas followed suit when they held an ANT1 event for Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards, who also received his own custom gold sneakers. Embiid’s latest colorway could mark another strong push from the Skechers brand with the upcoming NBA season commencing in a few months.
Joel Embiid donned Skechers for the first time in return to last season
Before Joel Embiid’s small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, he was having a career year across multiple categories. His scoring, rebounding and assist numbers saw an impressive bump, especially his shotmaking efficiency.
When he made his return, basketball fans easily spotted him wearing Skechers for the first time on the court with a sleek colorway to boot. Boardroom’s Nick DePaula also reported on this after news of his multi-year shoe deal came to light.
Last season, the 2023 MVP averaged 34.7 points (52.9% shooting, including 38.8% from three-point range), 11.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.
Joel Embiid talked about possibly playing for Cameroon in the 2028 Olympics
Joel Embiid already has one of the most impressive basketball resumes for a star center in the NBA and he just added an Olympic gold medal to his body of work.
Despite cherishing the experience, the Sixers’ star discussed the possibility of representing Cameroon at the LA 2028 Olympics, as per San Francisco Chronicle’s Ron Kroichick.
“It’s been a good experience,” Embiid said. “It’s been a grind, being away from home and family for a few weeks. But the group of guys we have made it easy. Paris is a great city and the next one is L.A. It might not be with Team USA; it might be with Cameroon.”
He proved to be a vital piece for USA Basketball this year en route to their gold medal finish, especially during their semi-final win against Nikola Jokic and Serbia. However, Embiid is eyeing a different journey once the international multi-sport event rolls into the ‘City of Angels’.
