Philadelphia 76ers under investigation for suspicious status of Joel Embiid’s injury: What we know so far

On Jan. 30, Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga collided with Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid while diving for a loose ball. As a result, Embiid, the reigning MVP, experienced immediate pain in his left knee from the impact of Kuminga’s 210-pound frame. Following the incident, the 76ers announced that Embiid had torn his meniscus and would attempt treatment before resorting to surgery.

Despite being asked to undergo surgery on Feb. 6 and being expected to be sidelined for four weeks, Embiid made a surprising return to the court less than a month later on Mar. 2 against the OKC Thunder. While many were surprised by his quick return, Embiid was determined to get back in the game.

The 76ers, along with all other NBA teams, submitted injury reports hours prior to the game. However, Joel Embiid’s status had been listed as out until just one hour before tip-off against the Thunder.

The NBA was taken aback by Philadelphia’s unexpected decision to abandon “The Process.”It was only a matter of time before the league would investigate the situation.

“The NBA is expected to investigate how Sixers handled injury reporting on Embiid, per @JaredSGreenberg.

“He was listed out all day until 5:49 pm ET, then upgraded to available just over an hour later.

“Sixers were fined $75K in February for an injury report violation with Embiid.”

On Jan. 27, the Philadelphia 76ers made a sudden decision that resulted in the NBA imposing a $75K fine on them. During a highly anticipated game against the Denver Nuggets, the 76ers neglected to declare Embiid as inactive until just 15 minutes before the game began.

Joel Embiid had been dealing with a nagging knee issue before missing the Nuggets game. Despite the discomfort and soreness, he managed to average an impressive 42.0 PPG. This left many questioning why he ultimately chose to sit out the highly anticipated match against Nikola Jokic’s team.

Upon his return on Jan. 30, Embiid did not appear to be in his usual MVP form when facing the Golden State Warriors. Sadly, his encounter with Kuminga ultimately resulted in him leaving the game and potentially ending his season prematurely.

Joel Embiid Dominates in Return from Injury

Although Joel Embiid had been sidelined for almost a month, his impact was immediately evident upon his return. “The Process”recorded 24 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and two steals in just 29 minutes.

Embiid’s clutch performance in the final minute played a crucial role in Philadelphia’s victory. He first tied the game with a jumper, and then sealed the win by sinking four free throws from 4.5 meters out. Despite the absence of Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton, and Robert Covington, the exhausted center single-handedly carried the team to the finish line.