Another episode of an increasingly bizarre saga: the NBA has fined the Sixers $100,000 for public comments regarding the status of Joel Embiid's left knee, as was first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.
The NBA has fined the Philadelphia 76ers $100,000 for public statements around health status of All-NBA center Joel Embiid, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/qYrMeUMlHG
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 29, 2024
Charania reported last week that the NBA was set to investigate whether the Sixers were violating the league's player participation policy by holding Embiid out of its season-opening, nationally-televised game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Moments later on Tuesday, Charania clarified that the Sixers were not fined for violating the policy, but for making "public comments that did not properly reflect his health issues with his knee."
The Sixers have repeatedly listed Embiid is out with "left knee injury management," maintaining that the former NBA MVP had not suffered a specific injury. In a press release sent out soon after Charania's report on Tuesday, the league stated that Embiid "has been unable to play in the 76ers' regular season games this season due to a left knee condition."
You can read the NBA's release in full here, courtesy of SNY's Ian Begley, which names Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse:
NBA fines Sixers $100,000 for statements concerning Joel Embiid’s health status made by Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse that violated league rules. Full statement: pic.twitter.com/D3JaungEZt
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 29, 2024
After a lengthy practice at the team's Camden, NJ facility on Tuesday, Nurse repeatedly declined to answer any questions regarding Embiid's status, minutes after the team said he would miss Wednesday's game against the Detroit Pistons.
After this Sixers’ statement was released, Nick Nurse took two questions regarding the absences of his stars before cutting off questions on the subject. Full video of that first minute of his presser: https://t.co/toyRXP212Y pic.twitter.com/N9WFqsMXXl
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) October 29, 2024
Embiid and Paul George will both miss the Sixers' home contest against Detroit, with their statuses beyond that game still up in the air.
MORE: Latest on Embiid and George
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