The NBA fined the Philadelphia 76ers $100,000 due to public statements made about Joel Embiid’s health at the start of the season.
The league conducted an investigation into the 76ers after Embiid missed the team’s opening game against the Milwaukee Bucks, which was reportedly a formality due to its player participation policy for nationally televised games.
While the NBA found the 76ers did not violate that policy, it did throw down discipline for public comments that did not properly reflect Embiid’s knee issues.
The league released a statement on the matter, saying that comments made by president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse were “inconsistent with Joel Embiid’s health status and in violation of NBA rules.”
They did find, though, that Embiid is dealing with a “left knee condition.”
NBA LIKELY TO INVESTIGATE 76ERS AS JOEL EMBIID BEGINS SEASON ON BENCH WITH INJURY: REPORT
Embiid, as well as offseason acquisition Paul George, have yet to play this season as they battle their injuries.
George has been dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee, which kept him on the bench as the 76ers posted a 1-2 record to start the year.
However, Embiid and George were both spotted practicing on Tuesday, though it was already said they would not be playing against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
ESPN reported Embiid taking reps in the team’s 5-on-5 scrimmages, which shows he is not just doing individual work.
It goes without saying how important Embiid is to this franchise. The one-time MVP has made five All-NBA teams while being the league’s back-to-back scoring champ in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
Last season, though, Embiid was only able to play 39 regular-season games, but he did compete against the New York Knicks in their first-round playoff matchup.
Embiid averaged 34.7 points per contest with 11 rebounds and 5.6 assists to reach his seventh All-Star Game.
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