After the Sixers’ lost to the Memphis Grizzlies Saturday night, Joel Embiid allegedly shoved a reporter.
The Sixers’ season is off to a tumultuous start, to say the least.
With stars Joel Embiid and Paul George sidelined for the first five games of the season, the team is 1-4 following an ugly 124-107 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies Saturday night. The odd handling of Embiid’s situation has done little to quell concerns.
Things evidently came to a head postgame as Embiid and a reporter got into a physical altercation in the locker room. According to multiple reporters covering on the scene, the reporter was longtime Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes. (To clarify: there was a report that a punch was thrown. The latest updates indicate Embiid shoved Hayes.)
76ers’ Joel Embiid got in an altercation with a columnist following tonight’s game in Philadelphia. Embiid took issue with a recent column that referenced his late brother and son, and Embiid shoved the columnist. No punch.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 3, 2024
Embiid did share his discontent with a column recently written by Hayes. In the piece, Hayes questioned Embiid’s desire to play while evoking the former MVP’s young son, Arthur, and his late brother, also named Arthur. The main image of the column was of Embiid holding his son. Eventually, the picture was changed, and Hayes edited the story while issuing an apology on X.
This is one of the worst (and most unnecessary) things I’ve ever read about a basketball player.
There was no reason to attack Embiid about a death in his family. pic.twitter.com/OyKTAllj1z
— Swipa (@SwipaCam) November 3, 2024
After practice Friday, Embiid called Hayes out by name, saying the column was “bullshit.”
“When I see people saying, he doesn’t want to play, I’ve done way too much for this city putting myself at risk for people to be saying that. I do think it’s bullshit. Like that dude, he’s not here, Marcus, I’ve done way too much for this fucking city to be treated like this.” pic.twitter.com/n1Z9of1F6v
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) November 1, 2024
Kyle Neubeck of PHLY added a bit more context about the altercation later in the evening:
“Marcus [Hayes] was present in the locker room and the second that Joel [Embiid] realized he was there, got into a verbal back-and-forth …
The gist of it was basically ‘You can say whatever you want about me as a player. Don’t ever put my dead brother’s name in your mouth’
-…
— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) November 3, 2024
And this is the full quote, according to Kevin Cooney of the AP:
“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,” Embiid said to Hayes.
Both Embiid and George were able to participate fully at practice Friday, including 5-on-5 scrimmaging. They appear to be nearing their debuts as the team heads out to the West Coast for games against the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s fair to wonder what will come of this incident. The league will reportedly investigate what happened, an unfortunate norm for the Sixers these days.
NBA spokesman tells ESPN: “We are aware of reports of an incident in the Sixers locker room this evening and are commencing an investigation.” https://t.co/mfv4sfNm7r
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 3, 2024