The events allegedly took place on the sidelines of the NBA match between the Philadelphia Sixers and the Memphis Grizzlies (107-124) on the night of Saturday to Sunday. In the locker room, Joël Embiid, star of the Sixers, allegedly pushed a columnist from the Philadelphia Inquirer who had recently written a critical comment against him, referring to the son and late brother of the 30-year-old kingpin.
“We are aware of reports of an incident in the Sixers locker room this evening and we are beginning an investigation,” said an NBA spokesperson quoted by American media.
A shove, no punch
ESPN reporter Shams Charania said that after that loss to Memphis, Embiid got into a “verbal exchange” with the reporter who wrote the critical article, Marcus Hayes. “Embiid objected to a recent article that referenced his deceased brother and son, and Embiid shoved the reporter. There was no punch,” Charania said.
In a recent op-ed focusing on Embiid’s ongoing injury issues, Hayes questioned the Sixers star’s commitment to the “greatness” of his sport. “Joel Embiid regularly speaks of the birth of his son, Arthur, as the major inflection point in his basketball career,” Hayes wrote.
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“He often says he wants to be great to leave a legacy for the boy named after his little brother, who died tragically in a car accident when Embiid was in his first year as a Sixer” in October 2014, according to the text. “To be great at your job, you first have to show up for work. Embiid has shown himself to be great at doing just the opposite,” Hayes scathed.
Best player in the NBA, Embiid, who also won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics with the United States this summer, has not played at all this season due to a knee injury. In his absence, the Sixers got off to a bad start, including their fourth defeat in five matches, conceded at home on the night of Saturday to Sunday.
