Joel Embiid is no villain for shoving columnist in 76ers locker room

Joel Embiid still hasn’t played a game for the Philadelphia 76ers to start the 2024-25 season, and it’s created a non-stop feeling of anxiety around the team. Embiid is officially listed as out with “left knee injury management.” Embiid was a full participant at practice on Friday, but was again in street clothes on Saturday night, as the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Sixers to drop Philly to 1-4 on the season.

Embiid fired back at his critics on Friday for questioning his dedication to his team. The Sixers have already been fined $100,000 by the NBA because their “public comments did not properly reflect Embiid’s health issues with his knee.” Paul George — the Sixers’ max free agent addition this summer — also hasn’t played as he nurses a bone bruise in knee. What was built as a championship-or-bust season for the 76ers suddenly feels doomed before it’s ever really started.

On Saturday, the NBA newscycle broke out in a frenzy with a report that Embiid got in a physical confrontation a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist in the locker room before Saturday’s loss to the Grizzlies. Initial reports said Embiid “assaulted” the reporter, but that looks increasingly less truthful as more details have come out.

Embiid cussed out and shoved local columnist Marcus Hayes for bringing up his son and deceased brother in a recent story calling out Embiid for sitting out games. Here’s Shams Charania’s initial report of the incident:

It’s unacceptable for there to ever be a physical altercation between an NBA player and the media. Embiid shouldn’t have shoved Hayes. Still, as Hayes’ strange and inappropriate column has circulated, most fans are taking Embiid’s side.

Kyle Neubeck of PHLY provided more details of exactly what happend inside the locker room. This is the best account of the confrontation between Embiid and Hayes:

Here’s the part of Hayes’ recent column that angered Embiid. Embiid’s brother Arthur died in a car accident in Cameroon in 2014, and he gave his son the same name to honor his brother. There is just no reason to ever bring this up in a column about Embiid’s lack of availability this season.

The NBA is investigating the incident. Embiid’s former teammate Jason Richardson came to his defense on social media:

Fans have also criticized Hayes, who has a long history of bombastic or inappropriate takes:

An editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer should have never allowed that column to run with references to Embiid’s brother and son. It’s hard to blame Embiid for being upset, especially at a reporter who has a long history of being an ass.

The 76ers can just never be a normal franchise. Despite all the consternation about Embiid’s injury, the stakes of this season have never really changed for Philly.

The Sixers need Embiid healthy for the playoffs. They don’t need him to win MVP or make an All-NBA team. The league obviously wants healthy players to play in games for paying fans. It’s a delicate balance for the Sixers, who were probably a little too transparent about their plan to save Embiid for the playoffs during their pre-season comments.

If Embiid is available and playing at his top level in the postseason, the Sixers will have a chance to make a run in the Eastern Conference. Everyone knows he’s one of the best players in the world. At this point, he can’t prove anything new in the regular season. The Sixers are going to need him on the court soon just to make the playoffs, but in an eternal 82-game regular season, a slow start still leaves them plenty of time to play catch up.

Embiid wasn’t wrong to be mad at Hayes for what he wrote. Hopefully the league takes that into consideration before deciding on their punishment.