Team Fined $100,000 for Misstating Embiid’s Injury, Nurse Refuses to Comment on Embiid and George’s Return

October 30 news, the NBA’s investigation into Joel Embiid’s absence from games has concluded, and the league fined the team $100,000 on Tuesday afternoon for public statements regarding Embiid’s health condition.

Following Embiid’s absence from the season opener earlier this month, the NBA launched an investigation into both the Philadelphia 76ers and Embiid’s health status, leading to this penalty. The league stated that the investigation confirmed Embiid was indeed unable to play in that game, but the team made statements about Embiid’s health that were “inconsistent,” resulting in the fine.

Currently, Embiid and Paul George are still unable to participate in games and have not played together this season.

On Tuesday, both George and Embiid participated in part of the team’s practice, but 76ers head coach Nick Nurse confirmed that neither will return for the game against the Detroit Pistons. When asked about their return, Nurse said, “I’m not going to answer that question.”

“We want these players on the floor, we want them to be healthy, we want them to perform well, and we want them to perform well throughout the season. My primary focus is on doing what I need to do. I need to put in a lot of effort to get this team to play its best tomorrow. … I just want to focus on the task at hand,” Nurse added.

This season, Embiid has missed games due to what the 76ers call left knee management. Last season, he played only 39 games due to knee injuries but returned in time for the playoffs and represented Team USA in the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics this summer. Embiid also mentioned that he lost over 25 pounds during the offseason to stay healthy and reduce stress on his knees. The exact reason for the delay in his knee recovery remains unclear. Yesterday, Embiid received a technical foul for waving a towel near the bench in the final moments of an overtime game against the Indiana Pacers.

George signed a four-year, $212 million contract with the 76ers during the offseason. He suffered a bone bruise in his knee during the preseason. While there is no structural damage to his knee, it is unclear when he will return to the court.

The 76ers currently have a 1-2 record and will host the Pistons on Thursday and the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. Next week, they will embark on a three-game road trip to the West Coast. Based on Nurse’s latest comments, it remains unknown when Embiid and George will be available to play for the 76ers.