As if the early juncture of the season could not get any worse for the Philadelphia 76ers, a brand new crisis has just stacked itself atop many others after their most recent loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.
Still with no Joel Embiid or Paul George in sight, emotions were really high, and this time, everything culminated in one of the rarest sights possible in the NBA milieu — a physical altercation between an NBA player and a member of the media.
To add to the drama, conflicting reports came out. Initial ones had Embiid punching a media member while ESPN’s Shams Charania shortly clarified that he merely shoved the same individual.
76ers, Joel Embiid could face serious penalty after shocking incident
As a result, the NBA could very well levy a hefty fine or even a suspension on either or both Embiid and the 76ers. The league has always taken a protective approach when it comes to the media, and they are definitely not bereft of precedence to rule this one with.
Heck, if you can remember, even though it was only a verbal showing of crassness, Patrick Beverley was hit with a four-game suspension last season after kicking a female reporter out of an interview for not subscribing to his podcast. It must be remembered, however, that this also came after he forcefully threw a basketball into the stands, which may have aggravated the issue.
Another relatively mild incident also transpired back in 2016 when the hot-headed DeMarcus Cousins pointed a finger at and unleashed a tirade against a reporter. The league only imposed a fine, though.
This entire ruckus with Embiid at the forefront, however, could very well merit a harsher penalty. The NBA cares so much about the optics, and it has already been established that the league’s decision-makers seem to be a bit less prudent with fines and other penalties when it comes to the 76ers.
Embiid’s season debut has already been postponed, and this time, do not be surprised if he gets handed down a suspension to keep that first appearance elusive. Unfortunately, it’s just the way it is.
Considering the most recent incident between player and reporter, which involved Beverley scolding a reporter after throwing a ball at a fan, the suspension could very well be longer than four games. The NBA is already investigating the incident, so the answer will likely come fairly soon.
Even though it may have been justified given the context.