Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey defended his All-Star teammate, Joel Embiid, who is set to miss another game on Monday, as Paul George is set to make his season debut. While George’s presence is an encouraging sight for the Sixers, they still long for Embiid’s presence on the court.
The Sixers have struggled to start the season with a 1-4 record. Through the first five games, Maxey was the lone star who tried to lead the team, averaging a career-high 29.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists. However, he’s the only player in the team averaging at least 20 points.
Ahead of their season matchup against the Suns, former NBA player Dennis Scott caught up with the one-time All-Star, who stood up for Embiid.
“Joel Embiid always wants to play basketball,” Maxey said. “He loves playing basketball. Whatever he’s doing is always going to be his best intentions to play basketball. He goes through all the noise, he gets all those different things but Joel loves playing basketball. He’s really good at it. He’ll never not play if he’s able to play.”
.@Dennis3DScott catches up with @TyreseMaxey ahead of the @sixers' clash with Phoenix 🎤#CenterCourt | @madebygoogle pic.twitter.com/yZDHFLyyF6
— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 5, 2024
Tonight, Maxey will finally get the help he needs with George. However, the Sixers stated that the All-Star forward will be on a minutes restriction in his debut game for the team. Philly acquired George over the summer after he signed a four-year, $212 million maximum deal.
NBA launched another investigation involving Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid is part of another NBA investigation following an incident involving a reporter. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the league launched an investigation on Saturday. This came after a confrontation between Embiid and a local columnist allegedly escalated into an altercation.
NBA spokesman tells ESPN: “We are aware of reports of an incident in the Sixers locker room this evening and are commencing an investigation.” https://t.co/mfv4sfNm7r
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 3, 2024
The Sixers star criticized Marcus Hayes’ article about himself in the Philadelphia Inquirer that involved his late brother and son.
“Joel Embiid consistently points to the birth of his son, Arthur, as the major inflection point in his basketball career,” Hayes wrote. “He often says that he wants to be great to leave a legacy for the boy named after his little brother, who tragically died in an automobile accident when Embiid was in his first year as a 76er. Well, in order to be great at your job, you first have to show up for work. Embiid has been great at just the opposite.”
This prompted Embiid to approach and confront the writer. According to multiple reports, the two continued to argue, leading the athlete to shove the columnist on the shoulder. Fortunately, the situation did not get worse.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
