76ers star Joel Embiid crashes NBA Finals and makes rooting interest clear: ‘I hate Boston’

Joel Embiid made an appearance on the NBA Finals pre-game broadcast — and he’s not happy to be on the sidelines.

“I can’t stand them. I hate Boston,” Embiid said when asked how it feels to see the Celtics one win away from the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. “Great city, great fans, they’ve obviously got some great players … but the whole East was kind of hurt, myself included.”

Although Embiid’s NBA season is over, his summer is booked up after he was named to the 2024 U.S. men’s national basketball team roster. Embiid missed a large portion of this season after having surgery on his left knee, but he said he’s hopeful to play in Paris.

“I’m doing great. … It’s going to be big for me because I’ve been dreaming about (the Olympics) since I was a kid. I’m excited just to be part of the experience,” Embiid said. “I feel pretty good. I’m excited to get back and go to work.”

When asked if he will be able to go, he said, “I want to go but we’ll see.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joel Embiid has clear NBA Finals rooting interest: ‘I hate Boston’