NBA imposes a $100,000 fine on the 76ers for inaccurate remarks regarding Joel Embiid’s health
On Tuesday, the NBA announced that the Philadelphia 76ers have been fined $100,000 due to misleading statements about Joel Embiid’s health made by president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse. These comments did not align with Embiid’s actual health status, breaching NBA regulations, including the Player Participation Policy.
Recently, Coach Nurse mentioned that Embiid was “looking good” and would be “ready soon.” Additionally, the 76ers claimed that Embiid was “responding well to his individualized plan” and expected to increase his participation in practice this week.
However, after Embiid did not participate in the season opener and missed the following games – including an upcoming match against Detroit – the league initiated an inquiry into his absence. It was concluded that Embiid’s inability to play this season stemmed from a left knee issue, which meant his missed games did not violate the Player Participation Policy after all.
The NBA’s policy on player participation mandates an automatic examination when any team personnel, including coaches or executives, make statements that contradict the player’s reported injury status.
“We will proceed cautiously,” Morey stated to ESPN. “A part of this cautious approach is ensuring both Paul (George) and Joel likely won’t participate in back-to-back games, if at all.”
This statement also conflicts with the NBA’s player participation guidelines, which stipulate that any such restriction requires league approval based on the player’s previous injuries and can only last for a set period as determined by the league office.
Embiid, the 2022-23 MVP and a gold medalist with the U.S. at the 2024 Paris Olympics, appeared in 39 games last season and wasn’t fully fit for the playoffs, having also battled Bell’s palsy.
Earlier this year, the 76ers received a $100,000 fine on April 5 for breaching injury reporting rules. They failed to correctly report Embiid’s availability before a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2. Initially listed as “Out,” Embiid unexpectedly played, prompting the fine, which took into account previous violations by the team in injury reporting.
