The NBA has initiated an inquiry into the management of Joel Embiid’s return to the court by the Philadelphia 76ers, the league announced on Thursday. Embiid was sidelined for the Sixers’ first three games of the season, including their season-opening defeat against the Milwaukee Bucks, which was broadcast nationally.
Prior to last season, the NBA implemented a new player participation policy (PPP) that imposed stricter guidelines on teams. Players who had been named to an All-NBA or All-Star team in any of the previous three seasons were classified as “stars” and were subject to new regulations.
According to the new PPP, teams must adhere to the following rules:
- No more than one star player can be unavailable for a single game
- Star players must be present for national TV and NBA Cup games
- Maintain a balance between one-game absences for star players in road and home games
- Avoid long-term shutdowns that could compromise the integrity of the game
- Ensure that rested players are visible to fans
Teams found violating these rules will face fines of $100,000 for the first offense, $250,000 for the second offense, and $1.25 million for a third offense. Investigations are automatically triggered when a star player misses a nationally televised game, multiple star players from the same team are absent for the same game, or there are conflicting statements regarding a player’s status on the injury report.
Exceptions to these rules are granted for injuries, personal reasons, and pre-approved restrictions on back-to-back games based on a player’s age, career workload, or injury history. Embiid, aged 30, stated to ESPN that he may choose to avoid playing in back-to-back games for the rest of his career.
As a star player, Embiid is currently undergoing a personalized recovery program for his surgically repaired left knee, which he injured late last season. Despite being limited to just 39 regular-season games, he returned for the playoffs only to aggravate the injury during the series against the New York Knicks, which the Sixers lost.
Embiid was able to compete in the Olympics this past summer with Team USA and contributed to their gold medal win, making his current restrictions somewhat unexpected. This situation has captured the league’s attention, particularly considering one of its premier players sat out on opening night.
The Sixers have not disclosed a new injury, only stating that Embiid is “responding well to his individualized plan and is expected to increase his return to play activities this week, including scrimmaging.”
During the team’s media day, Embiid disclosed that he messaged team president Daryl Morey following the Sixers’ elimination, emphasizing the need to prioritize his health for the postseason. To that end, he has shed 25-30 pounds and will now wear a brace on his left knee, in addition to the back-to-back game restrictions.
The task needs to be rewritten.