Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has been suspended for three games for pushing a reporter.
The 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player pushed a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist after the reporter wrote a critical article that referred to his son and late brother, as well as criticizing his fitness and professionalism.
The incident occurred after the 76ers’ 124-107 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.
Embiid, a seven-time All-Star, is still playing this season because of a knee problem.
“Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and the media in the NBA,” league executive vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement.
“While we understand that Joel was offended by the personal nature of the original version of the reporter’s column, interactions must remain professional on both sides and can never become physical.”
In Embiid’s absence, Philadelphia won just one of its first six games to start the season.
