NBA
NBA fine the Sixers for lying about Embiid
The best league in the world has hit the Philadelphia franchise with a hefty $100,000 fine for lying about the center’s physical condition.
The NBA announced Tuesday that the Philadelphia Sixers will be fined $100,000 for “inconsistent” public comments regarding the ongoing health problems of star center Joel Embiid.
The Cameroonian, who became an American citizen (and won gold at the last Olympic Games with the Dream Team), has yet to make his debut this season with the Sixers, who have one win (against the Pacers) and two losses (against the Bucks and the Raptors) in the three games played so far.
The fine is in response, according to a statement, to “public statements (...) that were inconsistent with Joel Embiid’s health status and violated NBA rules, including the league’s Player Participation Policy.”
The Sixers’ own coach Nick Nurse and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey were responsible for these comments, according to the North American competition. The league also determined that the center missed the start of the season “due to left knee injury management.”
An investigation was launched into the real reason why a star player such as Embiid would be ruled out of the the season opener - a high profile game which was broadcast nationally by ESPN.
The NBA approved a new Player Participation policy in September 2023 to replace the Player Resting Policy. The policy was designed to promote player participation during the regular season, with the focus on star players. Healthy players can still be rested as long as the player is present at the games and visible to fans. In Embiid’s case, the Sixers were fined for issuing statements that were considered “vague” and “misleading”.