The National Basketball Association (NBA) has announced that Joel Embiid, the centre for the Philadelphia 76ers, has been suspended for three games without pay for pushing a member of the media. The suspension will take effect from his next eligible game.
Embiid, who was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2023, has yet to play this year due to the team’s left knee management. The incident occurred on Saturday night in the locker room, where Embiid verbally confronted and shoved a newspaper columnist.
In a statement, NBA executive Joe Dumars emphasized the importance of mutual respect between players and the media, stating that interactions must remain professional and should never become physical. The altercation arose after Embiid took offence to a column by Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Inquirer, which questioned his professionalism and physical readiness following his participation in the Paris Olympics. The incident escalated with Embiid making threats towards Hayes, who offered an apology that was not accepted by Embiid.
The 76ers’ public relations team intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further. Despite the controversy, Embiid has made it clear that he does not care about what reporters say, although his actions suggest otherwise.
Selected as the third pick in the 2014 draft, Embiid has faced multiple injuries and has only played in 433 out of 805 possible regular-season games and 59 out of 67 possible playoff games since his first full season in 2016.
