Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid received a three-game suspension after shoving a columnist who mentioned his late younger brother in a recent article.
Physical confrontation with Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes took place in the NBA team’s locker room after their 124-107 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, Nov. 2.
“Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and media in the NBA,” Joe Dumars, executive vice president, head of basketball operations, said in a statement Tuesday, Nov. 5.
“While we understand that Joel was offended by the personal nature of the original version of the reporter’s column, the interaction must remain professional on both sides and must never become physical,” Dumars’ statement continued.
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According to an NBA press release, Embiid’s suspension will begin with the next NBA regular season game in which he is “eligible and able to play.”
The original article, published Wednesday, Oct. 23, was written by Hayes in response to Embiid, 30, being ruled out for “treatment of his left knee,” according to the NBA.
He began with an opening paragraph — which has since been deleted — that read: “Joel Embiid consistently points to the birth of his son, Arthur, as a major turning 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 was tragically killed in a car accident when Embiid was in his first year as a 76er.”
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers watches after an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Philadelphia.
AP Photo/Matt Slocum
Embiid welcomed his son Arthur with wife Anne de Paula in September 2020.
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At the time of his brother’s death, he shared a photo of him on Instagram, reflecting on his plans to visit him that summer.
“RIP to my brother who died at the age of 13. The bad thing is that I haven’t seen him since I left Cameroon 4 years ago and all these days, I was just thinking about next summer to have the chance to finally see him again… .. GOD has a plan for all of us. HE WILL BE MISSED #FOR HIM,” Embiid wrote in an October 2014 post.
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Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks with Joel Embiid #21 against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Wells Fargo Center on November 2, 2024.
Mitchell Leff/Getty
After a reader response to his article, Hayes removed a paragraph from his article, writing on X, “So I copied the lede into my column and replaced the image. I can see why so many people were upset about it. Sorry about that. Thanks for all the constructive criticism.”
Embiid gave reporters an update on his health on Friday, Nov. 1, saying, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia, “I had surgery in February or whenever it was, and I came back early to fight for the team and play, tried to give us a chance. Unfortunately, we lost (to the Knicks in the playoffs).
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. “I’m just managing and trying to find the best approach, but I feel pretty good. I’ve started doing some live stuff and I’m feeling pretty good, so I should be back very soon,” he added.
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