Philadelphia 76ers Fined $75,000 for Untimely Reporting of Joel Embiid’s Injury

During the NBA’s rivals week clash between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Denver Nuggets, fans were eagerly anticipating a showdown between MVP candidates Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. However, the highly anticipated matchup took an unexpected turn as Embiid was a late scratch from the lineup due to knee soreness.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone expressed concern over the abrupt change in Embiid’s status, suggesting that the league would likely investigate the untimely reporting of the injury. Malone stated, “I’m sure the league will do their due diligence because that’s frowned upon.”

Indeed, the NBA conducted an investigation into the matter, and the verdict was announced on Thursday afternoon. The Philadelphia 76ers are set to face a $75,000 fine for their failure to accurately and promptly report Joel Embiid’s injury before the game against the Denver Nuggets.

The league specifically cited the Sixers’ failure to include Embiid on the injury report for the game on Saturday, Jan. 27, as the basis for the fine. This is not the first time the Sixers have run afoul of the league’s injury reporting policy, with previous instances including the failure to report Ben Simmons’ absence against the Nuggets in January 2021 and Embiid’s non-participation against the Miami Heat in May 2022 during the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

While the Sixers were found to have violated injury reporting rules, the league determined that there were no infractions regarding their player participation policy, given that Embiid’s sore knee was deemed a “confirmed injury.” The fine serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to the league’s protocols in reporting player injuries.