As expected, the Sixers have been penalized by the NBA for violating the league’s injury reporting rules. According to a press release (via Twitter), the franchise was hit with a $100K fine for its latest violation.
As we outlined earlier this week, reports on Monday suggested that star center Joel Embiid had a chance to return vs. the Thunder on Tuesday following a two-month injury absence. However, he was officially listed as out for the game, then didn’t attend the team’s shootaround on Tuesday.
It wasn’t until after 5:30 pm Eastern on Tuesday that Embiid was upgraded to questionable. He was ultimately determined to be available in a game-time decision.
The NBA’s announcement today said the 76ers were fined for failing to accurately disclose Embiid’s status for that Tuesday game and that the penalty takes into account the team’s prior history of fines for similar violations.
The most recent of those fines occurred on February 1 for a previous episode involving Embiid. In that instance, the reigning MVP wasn’t listed on the injury report at all for a January 27 game in Denver until he was ruled out just hours before tip-off. The NBA fined the Sixers $75K in that case, again citing the club’s history of injury reporting violations.
What is the NBA worried about?
Gambling revenue, probably. Although given that the Sixers have been doing this for years, it’s not surprising they’d cop a fine for it.
The less accusatory angle is that they’re annoyed that the superstar who attracts fans wasn’t given a clear report of whether he was playing or not.
Also not fair to your opponent when you’re playing shadow games with your star player and they’re being truthful. OKC sat J Will (rest) and SGA was out injured so Philly decided this was an easier team now and decided to play embiid to get the win…which they almost didn’t. Fine should have been more considering their history of doing this but oh well I guess…..
The league really seems obsessed with going out of their way in finding ways to punish the Sixers.
Or maybe the sixers seem obsessed with going out of their way to break the rules?
How often do you see a star player who missed months with a knee injury and has a long history of lower body injures go from marked as out, not participate in shootaround, then all of a sudden start and play 30 mins?
One can argue the NBA is inconsistent with how and against whom it applies the rule to, but there’s no question it was deserved in this case.
Trust the (Injury) Process
Betting is making a mockery of sports
Sixers are 1gm out of 6th seed. With 5 gms to go. Grizz, Spurs, Pistons, Magic, Nets. They could very easily be the 6th seed. I’m sure Boston and Milwaukee would love that.
I’d like to see Sixers at 8th and Knicks at 4th.
FIVE gms………
This keeps happening and sixers eat the fine like it’s a cheese steak (hit like if you get it)
They need to start taking away draft picks or Morey will do what he wants.
Vegas calling the shots on this one… sad.