Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid looks across the court after an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Philadelphia.
11:41 JST, Nov 6, 2024
NEW YORK (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was suspended by the NBA on Tuesday for three games without pay for pushing a member of the media.
Embiid’s suspension will begin the next regular season game in which he is eligible and can play. The 2023 NBA MVP has yet to play this season due to what the 76ers are calling left knee management.
The Sixers begin a road trip in Los Angeles against the Clippers on Wednesday evening.
Embiid yelled and pushed a newspaper columnist in an altercation in the locker room on Saturday night.
“Mutual respect is critical to the relationship between players and media in the NBA,” league executive Joe Dumars said in a statement announcing the suspension. “While we understand that Joel was offended by the personal nature of the reporter’s original version of the column, interactions on both sides must remain professional and never become physical.”
Embiid took issue with Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes, who mentioned the seven-time All-Star’s late brother and his son — both named Arthur — in columns questioning Embiid’s professionalism and out-of-form effort after playing at the Olympic Games in Paris.
When reporters entered the locker room to talk to players after a 124-107 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the two-time NBA scoring champion stood up and confronted Hayes.
“The next time you bring up my dead brother and my son again, you’re going to see what I’m going to do to you and I’m going to have to… live with the consequences,” Embiid told Hayes.
Embiid continued, with several instances of profanity in the next few sentences. Hayes apologized, which Embiid did not want. “That’s not the first time,” Embiid said.
Embiid later said he doesn’t care what reporters say. “But you do,” Hayes replied.
Embiid seemed to get louder at that point and not long after pushed Hayes on the shoulder as the team’s PR chief got between them. Another PR person moved Tyrese Maxey’s interview to the hallway outside the locker room, in an attempt to clear reporters.
Embiid was the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft but missed his first two full seasons due to injuries. Since his first full season in 2016, he has played in 433 of a possible 805 regular season games and only 59 of a possible 67 playoff games.
