Embiid verbally confronts, then shoves, Philadelphia reporter. NBA is investigating

A visibly angry Joel Embiid shouted astatine and yet shoved a Philadelphia newspaper columnist successful a locker room altercation aft nan struggling 76ers mislaid to nan Memphis Grizzlies connected Saturday night

PHILADELPHIA -- A visibly angry Joel Embiid shouted astatine and yet shoved a Philadelphia newspaper columnist successful a locker room altercation aft the struggling 76ers mislaid to nan Memphis Grizzlies connected Saturday night.

The NBA quickly said it has opened an investigation into nan matter.

Embiid took rumor pinch Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes, who mentioned nan All-Star center's precocious relative and his boy — some named Arthur — successful columns questioning Embiid’s professionalism and effort not being successful style aft playing successful nan Paris Olympics. Embiid has yet to play for nan 76ers this season.

As reporters entered nan locker room to talk to players, Embiid stood and confronted Hayes.

“The adjacent clip you bring up my dormant relative and my boy again, you are going to spot what I’m going to do to you and I'm going to person to ... unrecorded pinch nan consequences,” Embiid said to Hayes.

Embiid continued, pinch respective instances of profanity successful nan adjacent fewer sentences. Hayes offered an apology, which Embiid did not want. “That’s not nan f——— first time.” Embiid said.

Embiid later said that he doesn't attraction what reporters say. “But you do,” Hayes answered.

Embiid appeared to get louder astatine that point, and not agelong afterward pushed Hayes connected nan enarthrosis while nan team’s nationalist relations main sewage betwixt them. Another PR personification moved Tyrese Maxey’s question and reply to nan hallway extracurricular nan locker room, trying to clear reporters.

At nan aforesaid time, a squad information personification asked nan media not to study connected what had happened. Embiid yelled complete nan information guard.

“They tin do immoderate they want,” Embiid said. “I don’t springiness a s—-.”

Embiid had called Hayes retired successful a property convention pursuing believe connected Friday astatine nan team’s training facility, referring to him arsenic “Marcus, immoderate his sanction is” and questioning critics of his prolonged absence.

Hayes precocious wrote a communicative saying that Embiid disrespects nan 76ers and nan game, and that nan squad should see giving fans refunds erstwhile Embiid doesn't play.

“I’ve done measurement excessively overmuch for this … metropolis to beryllium treated for illustration this, done measurement excessively ... much,” Embiid said Friday. “I wish I was arsenic fortunate arsenic different ones, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not trying and I’m not doing immoderate it takes to beryllium retired there, which I’m gonna beryllium present beautiful soon.”

Hayes was not astatine nan believe connected Friday. It remains unclear erstwhile Embiid will play, and nan NBA probe will find if disciplinary action is warranted.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA