Suspended!!! That’s what Joel Embiid got for his recent locker room trouble. Apparently, just one push was all it took for some extended rest. As his shove gate incident with Philadelphia Inquirer’s Marcus Hayes became a major news story nationwide, the NBA took matters into their hands and announced what appeared to be an apt decision. However, the incident raised several questions, one of them being the kind of training players receive to handle such sensitive situations.

The topic of the discussion on the latest episode of The Ringer NBA Show Real Ones mostly revolved around the Embiid incident. The Ringer journalist, Howard Beck, curiously asked the former NBA athletes whether the league has some specific guidelines for handling the unpredictable behavior of fans and media. To which the ex-Warrior Raja Bell replied, “They weren’t I mean, to my knowledge.”

Raja further mentioned that they used to have seminars where people imparted financial knowledge and helped them deal with personal matters and safety concerns but no other guidelines were taught. “I never really recall ever having one in regards to, like, security in arena, fan access. Like, I didn’t. But it was always, like, common sense, at least for most of us,” the former guard stated.

Austin Rivers, who joined the show as a special guest, seconded Raja. “We never really had any seminars about that either. It was more so just like, you know, it is common sense,” the ex-combo guard added. Considering how Embiid reacted, maybe it’s not so common sense after all.

Hayes criticized Embiid in his news column for being unprofessional due to his frequent injuries and being out of shape. However, for Embiid, Hayes crossed the line when he brought up the Cameroonian’s brother, who tragically passed away, and Embiid’s son. Following the 107-124 defeat against the Grizzlies on Saturday, Embiid took out the frustration on Hayes and reportedly shoved the reporter in the locker room. The league couldn’t tolerate his misbehavior and dismissed his hopes of returning to the Philly lineup anytime soon.

When can we expect Joel Embiid to return?

The NBA suspended Embiid for three of the Sixers’ games which means the team could have their leader back by next week. He would get enough time to prepare himself for bouncing with a debut that could silence critics like Hayes.

According to the franchise’s update on his knee injury, Embiid could have resumed playing tonight against the Clippers if he hadn’t been involved in the recent chaos. Nevertheless, after waiting so long for his return, a little longer won’t hurt. If everything goes smoothly, and Hayes doesn’t repeat his past actions or appear in front of Embiid, the big man could lead the squad against the NY Knicks on November 12.

The Philadelphia 76ers are having a tough time with injuries and lackluster performances. However, with Embiid back in the lineup, the team will get a much-needed boost to improve their 1-5 record and potentially avenge their 2024 playoff first-round loss to the Knicks. So, hold your horses and look forward to better days when Embiid returns to the hardwood.