Joel Embiid won’t be suiting up to play any time soon. Following an investigation by the NBA into his locker room altercation with Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes, the organization has decided to suspend Embiid for three games.
According to Sports Illustrated, Embiid’s season has already been off to a slow start as he has been sidelined with injuries. Now, the soonest he will have the option to take the court is Nov. 12.
Related: NBA Investigating Locker Room Altercation Between 76ers Player and Reporter
In an official statement, the NBA said, “Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and media in the NBA. While we understand Joel was offended by the personal nature of the original version of the reporter's column, interactions must remain professional on both sides and can never turn physical."
The suspension comes on the heels of Embiid’s locker room altercation with Hayes, who wrote a column criticizing Embiid for his lack of playing time this season. The article also referenced Embiid’s late brother and young son in a negative way. When Hayes approached Embiid in the 76ers locker room to apologize, the situation escalated.
According to the Associated Press, Embiid said to the columnist, “The next time you bring up my dead brother and my son again, you are going to see what I'm going to do to you and I'm going to have to ... live with the consequences.”
Following their verbal altercation, Embiid pushed Hayes and the two were separated by teammates and staffers. At that time, Hayes was escorted out of the locker room for a meeting with team leadership who apologized for the incident.
On social media, many fans are reacting to the NBA’s suspension by saying they support Embiid. One fan responded to ESPN’s post and wrote, “Worth every game. I hope that journalist is fired.”
