The Philadelphia 76ers’ season already feels like it’s sliding into the tank, as they dropped to 1-4 with a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, and even worse, Joel Embiid shoved a reporter in the locker room afterward, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. The league is aware of and commencing an investigation into the incident, according to multiple reports.
The incident was described by the Associated Press as follows:
Embiid took issue with Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes, who mentioned the All-Star center’s late brother and his son — both named Arthur — in columns questioning Embiid’s professionalism and effort not being in shape after playing in the Paris Olympics. Embiid has yet to play for the 76ers this season.
As reporters entered the locker room to talk to players, Embiid stood and confronted Hayes.
“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.
Embiid continued, with several instances of profanity in the next few sentences. Hayes offered an apology, which Embiid did not want. “That’s not the f—— first time.” Embiid said.
Embiid later said that he doesn’t care what reporters say. “But you do,” Hayes answered.
Embiid appeared to get louder at that point, and not long afterward pushed Hayes on the shoulder while the team’s public relations chief got between them. Another PR person moved Tyrese Maxey’s interview to the hallway outside the locker room, trying to clear reporters.
At the same time, a team security person asked the media not to report on what had happened. Embiid yelled over the security guard.
“They can do whatever they want,” Embiid said. “I don’t give a s—.”
Kyle Neubeck, a Philadelphia reporter who covers the Sixers for PHLY Sports, was present for the incident and provided a similar accounting of events on the PHLY podcast.
“The basic gist of it is, we have our press conference with [Sixers coach] Nick Nurse, we got to the locker room, Joel [Embiid] is seated in there … Marcus Hayes — everyone knows was on Joel’s radar this week — Marcus was present in the locker room, and the second that Joel realized he was there, [they] got into a verbal back-and-forth,” Neubeck recounted.
“Obviously we can’t repeat many of the words that were said on this show,” Neubeck continued, “but the basic gist of it was, [from Embiid to Hayes]: ‘You can say I suck, you can say whatever you want about me as a player … don’t ever put my dead brother’s name in your mouth, don’t talk about my family, don’t bring them into this. You want to talk to me like a man and talk to me about basketball, that’s different. But if you ever talk about my family again we’re going to have real problems.’
“They go kind of back and forth, and at some point, let’s say 90 seconds-to-two minutes into this back-and-forth, Joel shoves [Marcus], team security steps in, players kind of surround the situation, and everyone kind of dispersed,” Neubeck concluded.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the shove was to the reporter’s shoulder.
As indicated above, Embiid was not shy in expressing his frustration on Friday with the way he’s been painted by media members — in his eyes — as a guy who hasn’t made being in shape a priority and hasn’t consistently shown up for his team, calling it “b—-hit” while adding he’s done “way too much for this f—ing city” to be treated that way. He then cited the story written by Hayes, who indeed did mention Embiid’s son and deceased brother.
Suffice it to say, this doesn’t sound like a good situation for Embiid or the Sixers. We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
