The NBA announced on Tuesday that Joel Embiid, a forward for the Philadelphia 76ers, has been suspended for three games without pay due to “shoving a media member.”

This event took place on Saturday in the locker room after the Sixers were defeated by the Memphis Grizzlies with a score of 124-107.

Joe Dumars, the NBA’s executive vice president and head of basketball operations, stated, “It’s essential for players and media to maintain a respectful relationship in the NBA. Although we recognize that Joel took offense to the personal tone of the reporter’s column, it’s critical for interactions to remain professional and never escalate to physical confrontations.”

Embiid confronted and made contact with Marcus Hayes, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, who had recently penned a critical piece referencing Embiid’s late brother, Arthur, who passed away in 2014, along with Embiid’s son named after him.

According to Gina Mizell, a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer covering the Sixers, Embiid “struck and shoved” Hayes amidst a heated exchange filled with profanity.

Hayes shared that Sixers president Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand reached out to him to express their apologies for the incident, stating regret over what occurred and asked him to recount his version of events, agreeing that Embiid’s behavior was inappropriate.

Currently, Embiid has yet to play this season due to a knee injury, and his suspension will take effect starting with the next game he is eligible to participate in, as indicated by the league.