The NBA has “commenced an investigation” into a postgame altercation in the Sixers locker room Saturday night, the league said.
This altercation was between Sixers center Joel Embiid and Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes, who Embiid criticized after the team’s Friday practice over a column Hayes published on Oct. 23. Embiid took issue with Hayes’ column, which mentioned Embiid’s son and late brother. The column has since been edited.
“Joel Embiid consistently points to the birth of his son, Arthur, as the major inflection point in his basketball career,” Hayes wrote to begin the original version of the column. “He often says that he wants to be great to leave a legacy for the boy named after his little brother, who tragically died in an automobile accident when Embiid was in his first year as a 76er.”
The next line of the column read: “Well, in order to be great at your job, you first have to show up for work. Embiid has been great at just the opposite.”
Later on Oct. 23, Hayes posted on X that the “lede” of his story had been altered, and that he understood “why so many people were upset about it.”
Embiid’s core message: he had no issue with Hayes or anybody else in the media saying whatever they wanted about his play on the court, but he believed Hayes had crossed a line by bringing up Embiid’s child and brother.
At one point, Embiid made a comment about the “consequences” that would ensue if Hayes mentioned Embiid’s family again.
Embiid commented that this was not the first time he was having this issue with Hayes. Hayes told Embiid that he had never mentioned Embiid’s son or brother in a story prior to the one in question.
Hayes attempted to interject a few times, but Embiid did not give him an extended chance to speak. Hayes asked Embiid if he could apologize — Hayes had said earlier in the conversation that he regretted mentioning Embiid’s son and brother, and clarified that the paragraph containing the references had been removed from the column — and Embiid conveyed that he was not interested in any sort of apology.
As the confrontation appeared to be nearing its end, Embiid became physical with Hayes, putting his hands in the area of Hayes’ shoulders. Hayes stumbled a couple of steps backward, maintaining his footing. Hayes did not appear to be physically harmed in any way. As soon as this occurred, three of Embiid’s teammates restrained him to ensure the situation would not escalate any further.
There was no punch made or attempted by Embiid.
Immediately, the media — which had gathered to speak to Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey — was informed that Maxey would speak to them in the hallway outside of the locker room. Maxey’s availability lasted just over two minutes. Following the conclusion of the availability, the media returned to the locker room where Embiid was no longer present.
PhillyVoice was present in the locker room Saturday evening as all of these events unfolded.
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