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Tim Bontemps, ESPN
Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid will be suspended for three games without pay for shoving Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes after Saturday’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the NBA announced on Tuesday.
“Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and media in the NBA,” Joe Dumars, the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations, said in a statement announcing the suspension. “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.”
The incident took place Saturday night, and came in reaction to Embiid taking issue with a recent column by Hayes that mentioned Embiid’s son and late brother — both named Arthur — while questioning Embiid’s professionalism and effort to stay in shape.
After shouting at Hayes during an exchange of words, Embiid shoved the columnist.
Embiid has yet to play this season because of ongoing issues with his left knee, which he had surgery on last season and limited his play during a first-round loss to the New York Knicks in the postseason. He is on Philadelphia’s current West Coast road trip, which the 76ers opened Monday with a 118-116 loss to the Phoenix Suns in what was Paul George’s debut with the franchise.
Embiid will lose $1,063,778 in pay during the suspension, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, and the suspension will begin whenever Embiid is deemed ready to return to the court.
That could come as soon as Wednesday’s game against the LA Clippers — George’s former team — at the newly opened Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Philadelphia has yet to release its injury report for the game as of 5 p.m. ET Tuesday, and Embiid could potentially be upgraded to a return to play.
If he is deemed ready to play Wednesday, he would miss that game, Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers and Sunday’s game back in Philadelphia against the Charlotte Hornets. That would make his first game of the year come next Tuesday in Philadelphia against the Knicks in the 76ers’ opening game of NBA Cup action.
If his suspension doesn’t begin until Friday, then Embiid’s first game back would be next Wednesday, also at home, against the currently undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers.