Joel Embiid’s situation is raising more issues than his injury alone. The concerns the Philadelphia 76ers have had since signing him are escalating quickly and not purely for medical reasons.
To protect their star, the 76ers have taken precautionary measures, like benching him during preseason games and even sidelining him in the season opener against the Detroit Pistons.
Joel Embiid is trolled with a chant for his absence from the 76ers vs Nuggets
Their President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, and head coach, Nick Nurse, have publicly addressed Embiid’s recovery timeline and how long it might take for him to return to 100%.
Financial penalty for being unclear
However, not everyone seems convinced by their statements, not even the NBA itself. The National Basketball Association recently fined the 76ers $100,000 due to their public comments about Embiid’s health, stating that the team violated the league’s Player Participation Policy by how they communicated about Embiid’s absences.
The NBA’s 65-game rule is designed to ensure key players participate in crucial games. The 76ers, along with Paul George, tried to be cautious with Embiid’s health to prevent further injuries. But according to the NBA, the 76ers have concealed evidence or overstated Embiid’s injury status, or, at the very least, the NBA isn’t convinced by the team’s conclusions.
John Clark, an ‘NBC Sports‘ reporter, explained that the NBA’s investigation concluded that the 76ers didn’t breach the participation policy based on Embiid’s missed games themselves but rather on the public statements that didn’t accurately reflect his knee condition.
“Sources said the NBA’s investigation showed that the Sixers did not violate player participation policy with Embiid’s missed games, but in fact with the public comments that did not properly reflect his health issues with his knee,” Clark reported.
In summary, Embiid is indeed injured, but the issue lies in how the Sixers portrayed it publicly, which has brought scrutiny from the NBA.
