Author: David Aldridge, Tony Jones and Sam Amick
Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid shoved a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist in the Sixers locker room on Saturday night, multiple league sources confirm Competitor. After Philadelphia lost 124-107 to the Memphis Grizzlies, Embiid and columnist Marcus Hayes got into an argument that resulted in a physical altercation.
Hayes, a longtime columnist for the Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, recently wrote an op-ed that Embiid took to be personally disparaging to him and his family. That sentiment was expressed to reporters after Friday’s practice.
In part, Embiid said he “has done too much for this damn city to deserve to be treated like this.” The column, published on Oct. 23, refers to Embiid’s son and his brother Arthur, who died in a car accident in 2014 at the age of 13. Embiid has said many times that the tragedy almost caused him to stop playing basketball. Embiid’s 4-year-old son is named Arthur after his brother.
Embiid has yet to play in a game this season and is 1-4 to start without Embiid and star forward Paul George, including Saturday’s loss.
Hayes went to the game Saturday and went into the team’s locker room after the game. Embiid found him, and their conversation quickly soured.
A team source said Hayes did not react physically to Embiid’s push.
“We are aware of reports of an incident in the 76ers locker room tonight and are beginning an investigation,” an NBA spokesman said Saturday.
Embiid’s playing status this season has been a source of conversation and frustration for the team and the seven-time All-Star, who has been injured in every playoff game over the past few years, something the team hasn’t been able to shake off. A factor in the second round of the playoffs during his tenure. Embiid and the 76ers have developed a potential plan to allow the center to participate in the regular season but reduce the number of games to ensure that he stays healthy for the playoffs.
Embiid underwent left knee surgery last February, which caused him to miss most of the second half of the 2023-24 regular season. He returned for the first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks and limped noticeably throughout the series. The Knicks won in six games.
But Embiid represented Team USA at the Paris Olympics this summer as the starting center for Team USA and appeared healthy. However, during the 76ers’ training camp, Embiid’s knee was found to be slightly swollen, and Embiid has since been shelved.
Hayes penned multiple columns last week harshly criticizing Embiid, accusing him of being out of shape heading into the season after competing in the Olympics and criticizing Embiid for his multiple absences over the years.
“The level of contempt Embiid has for his organization, his industry, and especially the fans who pay him all his money is astounding,” Hayes wrote in an Oct. 23 column for the Inquirer. Because fans buy tickets, fans watch TV, and fans buy the product advertised on TV. Part of Embiid’s deal is to show up and play basketball, but he doesn’t even bother to be in good enough shape to fulfill that part of the deal.
This is an incredible dereliction of duty. This is completely unacceptable.
In the original version of the column, Hayes wrote:
“Joel Embiid has always pointed to the birth of his son Arthur as a major turning point in his basketball career. He has often said he wanted to leave a legacy for the boy named after his brother when Embiid was with the 76ers. In his first year, he unfortunately died in a car accident.
The paragraph was deleted from subsequent editions of the online column.
Hayes criticized Embiid again last Wednesday after the NBA fined the Sixers $100,000 for their “inconsistent” statements about Embiid’s health. Hayes suggested that the team offer refunds to fans who purchased tickets to home games this season in good faith, only to learn that Embiid might miss several games this year to avoid back-to-back games.
“Moreover, it’s unlikely that Embiid will play in all of the next home games, even if not back-to-back; after all, he has missed 46 percent of the regular season games since the 76ers drafted him in 2014,” Hayes wrote . “So it’s fair to assume he will miss 10 home games, none of which are due to injury. That’s about 25% of what each season ticket holder paid.
On Friday, Hayes again criticized Embiid, who fired back at the criticism, saying he’s “done too much for this damn city to be treated like this, so I do too.” too many things.
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In his column on Friday, Hayes recognized Embiid’s MVP win and his performance leading the team, saying that Embiid “may end up being the best player in franchise history.” However, with Unlike the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Moses Malone and Allen Iverson, Embiid’s team has yet to advance past the second round of the playoffs. While Embiid has dealt with injuries in the playoffs, he’s not alone. My idea is: When the playoffs come, get in better shape so that if an injury pops up, it won’t be so difficult to play.
Embiid, 30, is in his 10th season with the Sixers, having been drafted third overall in 2014. . But he began to show his strength in his third season and never looked back, becoming the face of the Sixers’ controversial rebuilding plan known as “The Process.”
In 8 seasons, Embiid averaged 27.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 433 regular season games. But he has been plagued by lower-body injuries throughout his career, many of which occurred late in the regular season or in playoff series.
After the 76ers publicly commented on their plans to sit Embiid out for back-to-back games this season and have him sit out a nationally televised game against Milwaukee on Oct. 23, the NBA launched an investigation that ultimately confirmed the concerns he had. of left knee.
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If the league discovers that Embiid is actually healthy and the Sixers decide to prioritize the playoffs while resting him regularly during the regular season, the hammer will surely come down hard on the league. However, league sources revealed Competitor In the eyes of the NBA and the 76ers, Embiid’s left knee is so unstable that there are concerns it could cause further damage if he plays in the regular-season opener.
The league still fined the 76ers $100,000, but for public remarks.
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(Photo: Justin Castelin/Getty Images)
