Joel Embiid

Celebrity Buzz He played volleyball in Yaoundé until he was 15. Joel Embiid became an NBA MVP and an Olympic champion Joel Embiid, born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, took up basketball in his mid-teens and was discovered at a camp run by Luc Mbah a Moute. Injuries delayed his NBA career, but he won the MVP award in 2023 and an Olympic gold medal with the United States in 2024.