Joel Embiid on Saturday night confronted a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist regarding a recent piece that criticized the star center’s desire to “show up for work” by referencing Embiid’s late brother and young son.
Embiid, who has missed the Sixers’ first five games with a “left knee injury management” designation, approached the Inquirer’s Marcus Hayes after the team’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Soon after reporters entered the locker room for postgame media availability, Embiid went up to Hayes and the two had a brief back-and-forth. Hayes asked if he could apologize to Embiid, who did not accept. The exchange quickly escalated and Embiid pushed Hayes before being separated.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the NBA is investigating the incident.
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Hayes had previously apologized on X for his Oct. 23 column. The Inquirer removed the references to Embiid’s late brother and son, both named Arthur.
In 2014, Embiid’s brother was hit by a truck in Cameroon and died at 13 years old.
Embiid started the “In Memory of Arthur Initiative” in 2022, pledging to grant $1 million to Philadelphia-area nonprofits. He hosted a block party this summer for approximately 200 children from those organizations.
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“It’s still tough thinking about the whole thing,” Embiid said on Sept. 27. “He’s one of the reasons I’m doing this. He’s someone that cared about everybody. It’s funny, all the stories that I heard — because I hadn’t been around since I left Cameroon — and going back after his death, all the stories that I heard … just someone that cared about anybody and that was always giving back.”
Embiid had called out Hayes on Friday during a press conference about his left knee and return-to-play process. Hayes was not present Friday.
“When I see people saying he doesn’t want to play … I’ve been through way too much,” Embiid said. “I’ve done way too much for this city and putting myself at risk for people to be saying that, so I do think it’s bulls---. Like that dude … he’s not here — Marcus, whatever his name is. I’ve done way too much for this f---ing city to be treated like this. I’ve done way too f---ing much.
“Like I said, I wish I was as lucky as other (players), but that doesn’t mean that I’m not trying and I’m not doing whatever it takes to be out there, which I’m going to be here pretty soon.”
The 1-4 Sixers will begin a three-game road trip Monday night against the Suns. Embiid said Friday that “everything is trending the right way” with his health but did not forecast a specific date for his return.
