ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday that the NBA has opened an investigation into the Philadelphia 76ers regarding the participation of center Joel Embiid.
The news of the probe comes after Embiid and teammate Paul George were rule out of the 76ers opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, which they lost 124-109 (per CBS Sports.) Embiid was ruled out without a specific injury designation for what the team describes as ‘left knee management;’ while George suffered a bone bruise with no structural damage in the preseason.
It’s unclear what rules the 76ers may have violated, or specifically what the potential investigation would focus on. The NBA implemented rules in 2023 targeting the load management practice of resting star players when they’re not injured ,with teams subject to fines for various violations of the policy that include prohibiting teams from sitting multiple star players in the same game when they’re not injured and resting star players during nationally televised games.
Embiid, a seven-time All-Star and the 2023 NBA MVP, has been plagued by foot and knee injuries throughout his career. He missed 43 games last season due a meniscus injury in his left knee that required surgery. He returned in time for Philadelphia’s first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, and later played for Team USA in Paris during the Summer Olympics.
Head coach Nick Nurse was asked Tuesday about why Embiid was sitting Wednesday against the Bucks. ,” Nurse said: “I don’t know what to say to you. He’s in practice. He’s looking good. He’s progressing. He’s not quite ready yet .. I don’t know what else to say to you.” Regarding the reported investigation, Nurse added: “I don’t have any thoughts on it. Nobody from our organization has said anything to me about that. As far as the investigation, I don’t really know.”
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