76ers' Embiid receives three-game suspension for pushing Philadelphia reporter

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has received a three-game suspension without pay for physically confronting a journalist, as announced by the NBA on Tuesday.

The incident involved the Cameroon-born player and a columnist from the Philadelphia Inquirer, who had recently published a critical commentary about Embiid, mentioning his son and his deceased brother.

"Mutual respect is essential in the relationship between players and the media within the NBA," stated Joe Dumars, the league's executive vice president and head of basketball operations.

"While we recognize that Joel felt hurt by the personal nature of the reporter's column, it is imperative that interactions remain professional and never escalate to physical confrontations."

The league indicated that Embiid's suspension would commence with the next regular-season game for which he is eligible to participate.

Embiid, who was named the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player and was part of the United States' gold medal-winning Olympic team this year, has yet to play in any of Philadelphia's six games this season due to management of his surgically repaired left knee.

During his absence, the 76ers have struggled, achieving a 1-5 record, including a narrow 118-116 defeat to the Suns on Monday.

Prior to that game, Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse mentioned that he had communicated with Embiid following the incident with Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes, who had questioned Embiid's dedication to "greatness" in an opinion piece that referenced Embiid's young son Arthur and his late brother, also named Arthur, who tragically passed away in a car accident during Embiid's first year with the Sixers.

"As always, I first inquired about his well-being and aimed to keep him focused on our objectives," Nurse remarked, noting that the team had been working to involve Embiid more but was uncertain about his return to play.

SportsLigue