The NBA has suspended Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid for three games for his postgame altercation with a newspaper columnist Saturday.
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported the news Tuesday afternoon.
“Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and the media in the NBA,” Joe Dumars, the league’s head of basketball operations, said in a statement (via The New York Post).
“While we understand Joel was offended by the personal nature of the original version of the reporter’s column, interactions must remain professional on both sides and can never turn physical.”
As per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Embiid will lose $1,063,778 in pay during the suspension. It will begin when he’s declared ready to return to the court.
Embiid drew scrutiny for shoving The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Marcus Hayes following the 76ers’ loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. The former NBA MVP had been upset for several days about a column Hayes wrote last week, and he confronted the writer in the locker room.
According to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports, the two men exchanged words, with Embiid calling out Hayes for mentioning his family. That went on for about two minutes before Embiid shoved Hayes. A team PR staff member stepped in and ended the incident.
Hayes wrote a column Oct. 30 about the 76ers plans to rest Embiid this season, calling him “the least-dependable superstar in the history of the game.” He also mentioned Embiid’s son and late brother.
The 76ers center vented his frustration about that column Friday, telling reporters, “I’ve done way too much for this f***ing city to be treated like this.” Hayes was not present at the time.
Embiid’s run-in with Hayes wasn’t the only confrontation between a prominent athlete and a reporter in recent days. Dallas Cowboys star Trevon Diggs had a heated discussion with WFAA sports reporter Mike Leslie after the team’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8. Leslie had made a social media post during the game questioning Diggs’ effort on a play.
[Shams Charania on X]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.