Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid faces possible fines and a possible suspension after exploding at referee Jenna Schroeder before and after his ejection in the second quarter of Monday’s 116-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Sources told DailyMail.com that the league won’t stop with the mercurial seven-footer, who has been on an emotional rollercoaster this season as he appeared in just eight games due to injuries, suspensions and the team’s controversial strategy. to give him rest. in the second leg of consecutive games.
“While the referee is undoubtedly an equal and does not need to be protected in certain ways from his male counterparts, the NBA is looking to come down hard on Embiid, who has been an emotional wreck all season,” a source said. DailyMaill.com. “He’s definitely going through something, and this is just another escalation.”
The source suggested the Sixers could ask him to engage in anger management or step away from the team.
However, a club spokesperson rejected the source’s claims in an email to DailyMail.com, including the idea that Embiid could be asked to step away. And there remains a possibility that the league will consider Embiid’s ejection to be sufficient punishment, considering he never had any physical contact with referee Jenna Schroeder, who was unfazed by the incident.
Now on a 7-3 run after a 3-14 start to the season, the Sixers are quickly losing patience with Embiid, who previously got into a physical altercation with a reporter that resulted in a three-game suspension.
Joel Embiid yelled at NBA referee Jenna Schroeder when he was ejected from a 76ers game
An enraged Embiid charged the officials after the ejection and was restrained.
“The team has been thinking, ‘what’s next?'” a source said. “Before it’s too late, they’re trying to figure out what to do to help Joel, keep the team chemistry intact and move forward in a better light.” .
Embiid’s representatives have not responded to DailyMail.com’s request for comment. A league source did not offer an official response when contacted by DailyMail.com.
Embiid was ejected for charging at Schroeder late in the second quarter. They initially called a foul on San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, but he only made matters worse by angrily arguing the call and subsequently receiving two technical fouls, resulting in his ejection.
Embiid appeared about to confront Schroeder, but it was unclear from replays whether he made contact with the referee. Certain angles seemed to show her chin making contact with her hands and she was indicating her decision.
Embiid, 30, needed to be stopped by coach Nick Nurse, 76ers teammate Kyle Lowry and several assistants. Embiid even ripped off the mask he was wearing after suffering a broken sinus in early December.
NBA TV host Stephanie Ready slammed Embiid, saying in the studio Monday, “It’s a foul (on Wembanyama), in every way.” You can see that he is arguing, she is trying to calmly discuss it and he leaves.
‘Technical foul, and now look. He walks over and approaches her as if he wants to have a physical confrontation, which I have a problem with. You have to contain it. Now he’s out of the game.
‘I have a lot to say, as a woman…what the hell was I thinking?’
Embiid faced swift and immediate criticism from analysts and fans for his shocking behavior.
Analyst and former Duke star Alaa Abdelnaby questioned where Embiid made contact with Schroeder, but said the Philadelphia star had no excuse for seeing red.
‘Joel has to be better than that. Good? Because that’s too easy for the referees,” Abdelnaby said during the replay. “He’s harassing her.”
As the opening scenes played out live, Abdelnaby was shocked by what he was seeing.
“This is unbelievable,” he said, as Embiid exploded. ‘This is incredible. This is Mickey Mouse. This is not real. This is a joke… This is a joke.’
Embiid was allegedly criticized by teammate Tyrese Maxey earlier this season.
As reported by ESPN, Embiid was criticized for being late “for everything” amid Philadelphia’s dismal start to the season. Maxey’s point, sources told the Worldwide Leader, was that Embiid’s tardiness affects everyone in the Sixers locker room, from the coaches and players to the staff.
Maxey and Embiid remain close friends, but frequently take the blame for each other, sources told ESPN.
“Tyrese loves Big Fella, but this is the elephant in the room,” one meeting attendee told ESPN.
NBA suspended 76ers star Joel Embiid for three games after he assaulted a reporter
Embiid has also faced previous criticism for his work ethic and behavior during his nine years in Philadelphia.
Embiid previously received a three-game suspension for shoving columnist Marcus Hayes. The Associated Press initially reported that Embiid confronted the Philadelphia Inquirer columnist over an article he wrote referring to his late brother and son.
“Next time you mention my dead brother and my son again, you’re going to see what I’m going to do to you and I’m going to have to…live with the consequences,” Embiid allegedly said.
But as an NBA source told DailyMail.com, “Joel has no remorse for this incident.”
“Being suspended is fine for him, he had the power to do it because he was very upset and still upset about it,” the source said. ‘The team managers have made it clear; They don’t want this to happen again and have asked him to let it go and let it be an unfortunate incident and they want him to be a bigger man and move on. If he delivers, great, if he continues to do detrimental things then the franchise might have to consider trading him.
They described a possible trade as a “last scenario.” Embiid recently signed a three-year, $192 million extension, making any deal complicated, to say the least.