What happened between Joel Embiid and Marcus Hayes? The question may have become the central point of conversation among NBA enthusiasts today in the aftermath of the 76ers–Grizzlies matchup. A reported altercation is now confirmed to have taken place between the hooper and the columnist, with the former going so far as to shove Hayes, amid reasons being reported as personal. With updates coming in minute by minute, another hoops reporter who was there to witness the incident gives his two cents on the matter.

Kyle Neubeck was able to drop in during a recently recorded segment of the ‘Phly Sixers Postgame’ show. He revealed that Joel Embiid immediately got into a verbal dispute with Marcus Hayes upon realizing his presence in the locker room. The language used during the exchange was so crude that even Neubeck couldn’t utter it during the segment. However, he could reveal one remark that The Process made, which was, “’You can say I s–k, you can say whatever you want about me as a player, (but) don’t ever put my dead brother’s name in your mouth. Don’t talk about my family. Don’t bring them into this.’”

“You want to talk to me like a man, then talk to me about basketball. That’s different. But if you’re going to talk about my family again, we’re going to have real problems,” Embiid reportedly asserted, as explained by Neubeck. However, the player’s request was not enough to de-escalate the situation. In the end, things got physical, and Joel Embiid became the most searched player of the day.

According to reports, Marcus Hayes was already on the 76ers star’s radar this week. The same was because Shams Charania had highlighted and the player himself confirmed that the reporter had mentioned Embiid’s late brother Arthur in one of his columns.

“Joel Embiid consistently points to the birth of his son, Arthur, as the major inflection point in his basketball career. 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,” were the words present in Marcus Hayes’ column, that was later taken out, quotes via The Athletic.

The reporter later also added his personal critique in the same report, stating, “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.”

The NBA has moved swiftly in light of the incident. A league spokesperson has revealed to Shams Charania, “We are aware of reports of an incident in the Sixers locker room this evening and are commencing an investigation.” While it is hard to know the player’s state of mind, things needn’t have taken a physical turn. After all, Embiid had already made his criticism of Hayes’ coverage known.

Joel Embiid defended himself in light of Marcus Hayes’ injury criticism: “I’ve done way too much for this city”

For a while, the column did not highlight Joel Embiid’s brother and son as a concern. It was the fact that he was once again under attack for issues that came because of his injuries. The fact that critics called the 76er “the least-dependable superstar in the history of the game,” frustrated him. In this personal critique, Joel Embiid addressed the remarks head-on during a post-game presser.

“I’ve broken my face twice. I came back early with the risk of losing my vision,” said the 30-year-old in a statement. “When I see people saying, he doesn’t want to play, I’ve done way too much for this city, putting myself at risk for people to be saying that. I do think it’s b——-t … I’ve done way too much for this f—— city to be treated like this.”

Hayes later removed the paragraph that mentioned Arthur from his report. He made it clear through a tweet that he understood why people felt upset. However, the NBA player was not one to forgive and forget.

ESPN has now confirmed what the hooper said during the verbal spat, which was, “The next time you bring up my dead brother and my son again, you are going to see what I’m going to do to you and I’m going to have to … live with the consequences.” With an investigation underway, the 76ers center may have to live with some form of consequences in the upcoming days.