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Joel Embiid has yet to take the court this season due to ongoing knee issues but is currently facing a three-game suspension for a recent locker room incident involving a reporter. The 76ers center allegedly shoved Marcus Hayes, upset over a critical column Hayes had written. “They can do whatever they want,” Embiid reportedly said. While the league acknowledged his frustration, Joe Dumars cited “mutual respect” as the reason for the suspension.
For some, Embiid’s reaction seems hard to grasp, but many athletes have faced the media’s disregard for personal boundaries and felt similarly. Austin Rivers, once labeled a “legacy player” and coached by his father Doc Rivers, experienced a similar situation with an ESPN reporter.
The former Nuggets guard recalls how the reporter had written a “completely out of bounds” piece, calling him a “whiny tyrant” despite having never spoken with him or been in the locker room. According to Rivers, the article went viral, creating a false perception of him. “I really wanted to bump into him for years,” he shared on The Ringer’s Real Ones podcast, although he never intended a physical confrontation. Rivers only wanted an explanation for the depiction, as the two had never had a conversation.
Rivers’ frustration also affected Doc Rivers, who called the piece “hurtful.” Austin eventually had a chance to confront Michael Eaves, the reporter, years later on a SportsCenter segment but chose to let it go and move forward.
This context raises an important question: is Embiid’s suspension fair, or does it underscore the media’s tendency to overstep with athletes? Rivers himself acknowledged Embiid’s situation as more intense, saying, “Even though it’s a very insensitive article, it’s nothing like what Joel’s going through.”
Much like Rivers, Embiid had past grievances with Hayes, who had questioned his loyalty to Philadelphia sports. However, the tipping point for Embiid was Hayes’ comments linking Embiid’s family, particularly his late brother and young son Arthur, to his performance—a deeply personal intrusion.
While Embiid has typically refrained from reacting publicly to media criticism, this crossed a line for him. Though physical confrontations are usually viewed as excessive, the three-game suspension appears fair, preventing further escalation. Do you agree with this decision? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
