{"id":179376,"date":"2025-07-18T15:14:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T15:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/179376\/"},"modified":"2025-07-18T15:14:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T15:14:10","slug":"i-would-still-do-it-joel-embiid-backs-his-decision-to-shove-a-reporter-for-mentioning-his-dead-brother-nba-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/179376\/","title":{"rendered":"“I would still do it,” Joel Embiid backs his decision to shove a reporter for mentioning his ‘dead brother’ | NBA News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\""IJoel Embiid (Image via Facebook \/ @Joel Embii) In late October 2024, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid ignited controversy by shoving Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Marcus Hayes in the team\u2019s locker room. This reaction stemmed from a column that criticized his professionalism and referenced his late brother and young son, both named Arthur. Months later, Embiid remains unapologetic, doubling down on his actions in a candid ESPN interview with Dotun Akintoye.Joel Embiid stands firm on his ‘pushing away’ of Marcus Hayes\u201cI don\u2019t care if the NBA wants to fine me $1 million, $2 million, $5 million, $10 million, I would still do it,\u201d Embiid declared. The altercation followed Hayes\u2019 attempt to apologize for his column, which Embiid felt crossed a line<\/a> by invoking his personal tragedies. The 2023 NBA MVP accused the reporter of exploiting his family\u2019s memory before the confrontation escalated, requiring Sixers staff to intervene. The incident led to a three-game suspension for Embiid, but he remains steadfast, prioritizing his family\u2019s privacy and honor over any penalty. Embiid\u2019s protective stance stems from profound personal loss.<\/p>\n

Joel Embiid heated altercation and pushes reporter in 76ers locker room – FULL STORY<\/p>\n

His brother, Arthur, died in a 2014 car crash in Cameroon, a tragedy that haunts the 31-year-old center, who hadn\u2019t seen his brother in three years and carries deep guilt. His son, Arthur, named in his brother\u2019s memory, represents a sacred boundary for Embiid. The controversy underscores his unwavering commitment to shielding his family, cementing his resolve to confront anyone who disrespects their memory, regardless of the consequences.Joel Embiid\u2019s Trust Issues Deepen After Sixers\u2019 Leaked Team MeetingThe locker room clash with a reporter was only the start of Joel Embiid\u2019s trust struggles within the Philadelphia 76ers. Following to the a dismal 2-11 start<\/a> 2024 season, a private team meeting saw guard Tyrese Maxey challenge Embiid\u2019s leadership approach. When details of this confrontation leaked to the media, Embiid felt deeply betrayed by someone within the team\u2019s inner circle.In an ESPN interview with Dotun Akintoye, Embiid expressed his frustration, emphasizing how such breaches erode trust. He said, \u201cThe one thing I\u2019ll say is, it\u2019s hard being around people that do those sorts of stuff. That goes back to the trust thing. Once you cross that\u2026you can\u2019t expect me to be part of a team meeting again. That\u2019s just not going to happen.\u201d Embiid refused to name the suspected leaker, despite probing from Akintoye, underscoring his reluctance to further fracture team dynamics.The incident has visibly strained his willingness to open up with teammates, posing a potential threat to the Sixers\u2019 chemistry. For the 2023 NBA MVP, the betrayal cut deep, compounding the earlier reporter incident and reinforcing his guarded stance.Also read:https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/nba\/top-stories\/nba-trade-rumors-dallas-mavericks-predicted-to-acquire-213280928-philadelphia-76ers-superstar-in-blockbuster-trade-for-1-overall-pick\/articleshow\/121401409.cms<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Joel Embiid (Image via Facebook \/ @Joel Embii) In late October 2024, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid ignited…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":179377,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3769],"tags":[679,7,32689,936,32687,6,32688,678,207,19026,3817,32690,1263],"class_list":{"0":"post-179376","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-philadelphia-76ers","8":"tag-76ers","9":"tag-basketball","10":"tag-espn-interview","11":"tag-joel-embiid","12":"tag-marcus-hayes","13":"tag-nba","14":"tag-nba-suspension","15":"tag-philadelphia","16":"tag-philadelphia-76ers","17":"tag-philadelphia-inquirer","18":"tag-philadelphia76ers","19":"tag-reporter-altercation","20":"tag-tyrese-maxey"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/114874893361797785","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179376"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179376\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}