Joel Embiid garners rare backing amid the latest locker room controversy. The big man, who has been under the scanner over the last few weeks, found himself in deep trouble after shoving a columnist. Many reporters, including Shams Charania, reported the incident staining Embiid’s image. Amid this situation, Philadelphia 76ers forward Nicolas Batum’s wife, Lily Batum, interfered with stern support, taking the attack to the reporters.

According to Shams Charania’s report, Joel Embiid was involved in a physical altercation with columnist Marcus Hayes in the Sixers locker room. The incident reportedly occurred after Hayes referenced Embiid’s late brother and son in a recent column. Charania clarified in an X post that while Embiid did shove the columnist, he did not throw a punch.

Reposting the report, Lily Batum addressed the entire reporter community and took a dig at that. She wrote, “Attacking a player through the deceased relative’s card and being surprised by the reaction…. Come on! The journalist knew what he was doing. Violence doesn’t solve anything, but some people should avoid pushing people into that area.” Most importantly, she added the “#FreeEmbiid” hashtag at the end.

Lily has been active with her social media of late, posting opinions on various NBA affairs. In the same vein, she had to comment on her husband’s teammate’s issue. Well, Joel Embiid not only received backing from Lily but also the Sixers family. Moments after Lily’s statement, the Sixers’ official X handle quoted Embiid’s words to Hayes.

The post read, “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.” That’s quite a reply!

Joel Embiid encounters pressure from fans and media

Following the success at the Paris Olympics, Embiid hasn’t stepped on the court. The Sixers are already five games into the season and the star has yet to make an appearance. On top of it, the team’s latest addition, Paul George, has also missed all the games with a left knee injury. Their absence has affected the Sixers’ performance. With the latest loss to the Grizzlies, the 76ers are 1-3 this season. Many frustrated fans and some in the media have even accused Embiid of not wanting to play.

It’s quite tough to please Philly fans, as there are many instances of them going after their own team. Similarly, they went after Embiid as he struggled to get back to 100% fitness for the season. While the big man has mostly remained silent about his critics, he recently hit back at his detractors.

“From what I can tell you, I’ve broken my face twice. I came back early with the risk of losing my vision. I have broken fingers. I still came back. When I see people say 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.”  

Nevertheless, the latest update from the Sixers is that Embiid has begun engaging in full practice and 5-on-5 scrimmages. So, it’s safe to say that we can expect Embiid anytime soon! Will Embiid lift the MVP award this season? Let us know in the comments.