Philadelphia 76ers Star Joel Embiid Shoves Reporter After Heated Confrontation Over Column Mentioning His Deceased Brother

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid allegedly physically confronted and shoved a newspaper columnist in a heated altercation following the 76ers’ loss to the Grizzlies.

The NBA immediately launched an investigation into the incident. At the heart of Embiid’s anger was Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes, who invoked deeply personal tragedies—the loss of Embiid’s brother and his young son—in columns that questioned Embiid’s “professionalism” and “effort” following the Paris Olympics.  Embiid, who has yet to play this season, was reportedly seething. As reporters entered the locker room, Embiid approached Hayes and confronted him.

“The next time you bring up my dead brother and my son again, you are going to see what I’m going to do to you, and I’m going to have to … live with the consequences,” Embiid warned Hayes in front of several witnesses.

Things continued to escalate, with Embiid yelling expletives and refusing to accept Hayes’ apology.

“That’s not the f**king first time,” he shouted.

Soon after, he shoved the writer, prompting the team’s PR chief to intervene and try to defuse the situation. Tyrese Maxey’s interview was hastily moved to the hallway, and a security guard requested that the media keep quiet about the confrontation—only for Embiid to shout, “They can do whatever they want. I don’t give a s**t.”

The column in question seems to be from May, when Hayes questioned how Embiid could want to honor his brother and son on the court if he is not a quality player.

“Joel Embiid consistently points to the birth of his son, Arthur, as the major inflection point in his basketball career. 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. 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. Now in his 11th season, he consistently has been in poor condition. This poor conditioning apparently seems to have delayed his debut this season,” part of the column read.

In his column, Hayes had criticized Embiid’s commitment to the team, suggesting that fans deserve refunds when Embiid doesn’t play—a notion that seemed to pierce right through to the All-Star.

“I’ve done way too much for this … city to be treated like this, done way too … much,” Embiid lamented on Friday.