Basketball – NBA – Philadelphia: Embiid suspended three games after his altercation with a journalist

Published on November 5, 2024 at 11:55 p.m.

Aurélie Sacchelli

Joel Embiid has not yet started his season, and it will start even later than expected. Currently in the infirmary to treat a knee injury, the 30-year-old pivot has received a three-game suspension, the NBA announced on Tuesday. The reason? Physical contact (without hitting) with a journalist whom he criticized for having mentioned his deceased brother in an article, last Saturday after Philadelphia’s defeat against Memphis. Editorialist at Philadelphia InquirerMarcus Hayes wrote: “Joel Embiid regularly talks about the birth of his son, Arthur, as the major inflection point in his basketball career. He often says he wants to be great to leave a legacy for the boy named after his little brother, who tragically died in a car accident when Embiid was in his first year as a 76er. Well, to be great at your job, you first have to show up for work” Words that the American-Cameroonian-French pivot did not appreciate at all, and he made this known to his author, in shouting at him and then shoving him.

Embiid back on the 13th against New York?

But the NBA decided to sanction him, suspending him for three games as soon as he is fit to play, without being paid, knowing that his salary for this season is $51 million. “Mutual respect is paramount in player-media relations in the NBA,” Joe Dumars, the league’s executive vice president and head of basketball operations, said in a statement. We understand that Joel was offended by the personal nature of the reporter’s original version of the column, but interactions must remain professional on both sides and can never become physical. » While Paul George made his big debut with the 76ers on Monday during the defeat in Phoenix, Joel Embiid could have started his season on Wednesday against the Clippers, according to information from The Athletic. If he was truly fit for this meeting, he will therefore be suspended, just like for the reception of the Lakers on Saturday and the trip to Charlotte. He could therefore begin his season on November 13 against the Knicks, who eliminated the 76ers in the play-offs last May. Without its star, Philadelphia is currently second to last in the Eastern Conference, with only one victory in six games.