NBA suspends Joel Embiid 3 video games for shoving Philadelphia columnist

Philadelphia 76ers middle Joel Embiid has been suspended for 3 video games with out pay by the NBA for shoving a reporter throughout an altercation within the Sixers’ locker room Saturday evening, the league introduced Tuesday.

“Mutual respect is paramount to the connection between gamers and media within the NBA,” Joe Dumars, the league’s government vp, head of basketball operations, stated in an announcement. “Whereas we perceive Joel was offended by the non-public nature of the unique model of the reporter’s column, interactions should stay skilled on each side and might by no means flip bodily.”

Embiid’s suspension will start Wednesday when the 76ers face the LA Clippers. He will likely be eligible to return for a house sport Nov. 12 towards the New York Knicks, the Sixers’ first NBA Cup sport of the season. (They play on the Lakers on Friday and at dwelling Sunday towards Charlotte.)

The incident between Embiid and Marcus Hayes, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer who has repeatedly criticized the Sixers middle for sitting out video games, occurred after the Sixers’ 124-107 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Embiid objected to 1 Hayes column, written Oct. 23, that initially included references to Embiid’s son and brother, Arthur, who died in a automobile crash in 2014 at age 13. Embiid’s 4-year-old son is called Arthur, after his brother. (These references have since been faraway from the piece).

Hayes didn’t reply bodily to Embiid’s shove, a staff supply stated, and an NBA spokesman stated Saturday the league was investigating the incident.

“After I see individuals saying, ‘He doesn’t wish to play,’ … I’ve accomplished means an excessive amount of for this metropolis, placing myself in danger, for individuals to be saying that. So I do assume it’s b——-,” Embiid informed reporters Friday, someday earlier than the incident with Hayes. “… I’ve accomplished means an excessive amount of for this f—— metropolis to be handled like this.”

Embiid has a protracted historical past of accidents, together with orbital fractures, ankle points, a torn thumb ligament and a wide range of knee points together with a torn meniscus. He has not performed this season attributable to what the Sixers are calling “left knee damage administration.” Earlier than the season began, the Sixers made public feedback on their plans to relaxation Embiid throughout back-to-back video games to maintain him wholesome for the postseason. In his eight-year profession, the 30-year-old middle has by no means performed greater than 68 video games in a daily season and has averaged 54 video games performed per season.

Philadelphia sitting Embiid for its nationally televised season opener Oct. 23 towards the Milwaukee Bucks prompted the NBA to launch an investigation. The league fined the Sixers group $100,000 on Oct. 29 for “inconsistent” statements surrounding Embiid’s well being standing.

As The Athletic reported on Tuesday, the Sixers had been hopeful Embiid could be prepared for his regular-season debut as quickly as Wednesday’s sport on the LA Clippers. He just lately started working towards in five-on-five motion, labored out extensively earlier than the sport Monday towards the Phoenix Suns and was scheduled to participate in particular person exercises Tuesday in Los Angeles that will have set the stage for what got here subsequent. As an alternative, with the Sixers already reeling, they’ll now have to attend even longer for his or her former MVP to be again on board.

The Sixers sit in 14th place within the Jap Convention with a 1-5 document. With Embiid out, their main offseason addition, nine-time All-Star Paul George, missed the primary 5 video games of the season with a left knee bone bruise sustained in a preseason sport Oct. 14. He returned Monday towards Phoenix.