76ers Star Suspended Over Shoving Media Member

Joel Embiid just got a slap on the wrist from the NBA. He hasn’t played in any games this season so far, but he just made things worse for himself. After Saturday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, he was involved in an incident. Embiid has been suspended for three games for shoving Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes.

The column Hayes was focusing on criticized Embiid for missing several recent games. However, the articles also mentioned his brother, who died in a car accident in 2014, and his young son, which Embiid did not appreciate. Since the incident, all the articles have been removed. The situation quickly escalated in the locker room after the game. Embiid confronted Hayes, upset over the mention of his brother and son. Hayes reportedly offered an apology, but Embiid didn’t accept it, and tensions rose further. Embiid then shoved Hayes on the shoulder, according to other reporters present in the 76ers' locker room. The PR staff stepped in moments later, separating the two before the situation could escalate further.

This is the second suspension of Embiid’s NBA career. The first occurred after a fight between him and Karl-Anthony Towns, both of whom were suspended when Towns was with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Embiid has been relatively quiet since that incident. It may be a while before Embiid gets to play basketball again. He’s been out all season, nursing his knee back to health, and hasn’t played since the preseason. It will be even longer before 76ers fans see him return to the court. Hopefully, when he does, he’ll be better than ever. The 76ers currently have a 1-5 record. Paul George returned on Monday, but the hope is that the big three will be back together soon.