The NBA suspended Joel Embiid three games without pay for shoving a media member, the league announced Tuesday.
The incident occurred in the Philadelphia 76ers’ locker room following Saturday’s defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies.
“Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and media in the NBA,” NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement.
“While we understand 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 turn physical.”
Embiid will begin serving his ban Wednesday when the 76ers take on the Los Angeles Clippers, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania. He’ll return Nov. 12 for the club’s NBA Cup opener against the New York Knicks.
The former MVP has yet to suit up as he continues to rehab from a left knee injury.
Embiid took issue with a recent article from a Philadelphia columnist that questioned his availability and conditioning while also referencing his son and late brother, who was killed in a car accident in 2014.
The 76ers were fined $100,000 last week for making public statements that were inconsistent with Embiid’s health status and in violation of the league’s player participation policy.
Philadelphia got Paul George back for Monday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns but dropped its third straight game, falling to 1-5.
