The NBA suspended Joel Embiid three games without pay for shoving a media member, the league announced Tuesday.
The incident occurred in the Philadelphia 76ers’ locker room following Saturday’s defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies.
“Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and media in the NBA,” NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement.
“While we understand Joel was offended by the personal nature of the original version of the reporter’s column, interactions must remain professional on both sides and can never turn physical.”
Embiid’s suspension begins on the next regular-season contest he’s “eligible and able to play.”