On Tuesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver decided to punish Philadelphia 76ers franchise star Joel Embiid for his role in a locker room altercation that involved The Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Marcus Hayes.
Embiid will be suspended for three games, per ESPN’s Shams Charania, costing him over a $1 million in forfeited wages.
The NBA has suspended Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid for three games for altercation shoving a columnist in a postgame locker room. pic.twitter.com/odkbFwuA0p
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 5, 2024
After the incident, Sixers president Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand personally apologized to Hayes, saying Embiid’s actions were “unacceptable,” per The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Gina Mizell.
Sixers’ Response To Joel Embiid Altercation Might Lead To Split
The facts are clear.
Hayes crossed a line, unspoken or not, by using a player’s deceased relatives to drive home a disparaging comment about their lack of availability.
Here’s what Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes wrote, before his altercation with Joel Embiid tonight: pic.twitter.com/7nVvs4RfnP
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) November 3, 2024
Embiid, taking exception to a low blow, shoved a media member. He then made an ambiguous threat, warning Hayes not to bring up his family again. As a professional and organizational leader, he also erred.
From there, it’s all subjective.
(1) Hayes offered an apology. That may not have led to a kumbaya moment but it should’ve de-escalated the situation. However, if Hayes continued to goad Embiid, was his heart really in the apology? Many of us have been apologized to, or have even been the one saying sorry, and known there was a lack of sincerity.
(2) Embiid’s push has been characterized as assault. By dictionary definition and even by law, it could fall into that category. However, it was a single open-handed push to the shoulder area. Unless Hayes was pushed into or down something, it’s hard to feel like he was in danger. That being said, Embiid is an extraordinarily large human at 7-foot-0 and well over 250 pounds. A normal-sized person might feel like they really were harmed.
(3) The threat is another type of assault, legally speaking. One can only speculate but it sounds as if Embiid was willing to rough Hayes up if he found out that the reporter made more comments about his family. To some, Embiid’s attempt to instill fear in Hayes by alluding to physical violence is just as bad or even worse than him actually pushing him.
Sixers Should’ve Had His Back
With all of the information at hand, two thoughts come to mind. The first is that both individuals crossed a line, and two wrong don’t make a right. The second is that although Embiid misstepped, the Sixers should’ve defended him with at least as much vigor as The Philadelphia Inquirer has defended Hayes.
In a statement, Inquirer editor and senior vice president Gabriel Escobar said “Marcus is an experienced and accomplished columnist who offers sharp and illuminating commentary grounded in his observations. You are free to disagree with what he says, but a physical assault is…
— J🐐 (@SixersJustin) November 3, 2024
This wasn’t a player just going off the rails because he didn’t like something written about him. This was a player reacting to someone disrespecting the memory of his deceased little brother, who he loves deeply.
This is what Joel Embiid had to say about how he felt at the time of his little brother’s tragic death. Really gross of Marcus Hayes to invoke his name to prove a silly point, and it’s no wonder why Joel snapped the way he did. pic.twitter.com/oQvKVy6MTK
— 🦈🐋 (@EmbiidPlzWin) November 3, 2024
Instead, Morey and Brand publicly kowtowed while offering no defense of their franchise star. Their lack of situational awareness has left even Embiid’s most staunch critics wondering how that’s possible.
Is A Trade Request Imminent?
Embiid recently signed a contract extension with the Sixers, who amassed plenty of talent in the offseason. However, he may need to think about demanding a trade, whether it’s this season or next summer. Right now, he’s working for individuals who not only didn’t have his back publicly but threw him under the bus.
How can he trust, respect, or grow a deeper connection with people who have done that?
Ironically, this is why Ben Simmons requested a trade from the Sixers. In that instance, it was Embiid and Doc Rivers publicly throwing him under the bus for his poor decision-making. That fractured Simmons’s relationship with the franchise more than any shot he passed up did.
Whether it’s karmic or history just tends to repeat itself, Embiid is now in a similar position as Simmons was. Will he make the same decision though?
