"Going to triple down on Embiid slander" - NBA fans react after Marcus Hayes continues covering 76ers following Joel Embiid altercation

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Marcus Hayes will reportedly continue covering the 76ers following his altercation with superstar center Joel Embiid. The news left NBA fans speculating whether the beat reporter will keep ridiculing the 2023 MVP.

Following Saturday's 124-107 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Embiid reportedly called out Hayes and shoved him in response to an Oct. 23 column.

Hayes' story criticized Embiid for missing the start of the season due to a left knee injury. The columnist seemingly implied that the seven-time All-Star was letting down his son, Arthur, named after his late brother, by doing so.

"Joel Embiid consistently points to the birth of his son, Arthur, as the major inflection point in his basketball career," Hayes wrote. "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.

"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. Now in his 11th season, he consistently has been in poor condition. This poor conditioning apparently seems to have delayed his debut this season."

On Tuesday, the NBA suspended Embiid for three games without pay for "shoving" Hayes. The league's executive vice president of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, noted that "mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and media in the NBA."

However, despite Hayes facing backlash, he will reportedly continue with business as usual. Per Evan Benn, the Philadelphia Inquirer's senior director of special projects and communications, there will be "no change" regarding Hayes' job status.

"He is an Inquirer columnist who covers Philadelphia sports teams, including the Sixers," Benn said, via TMZ Sports' Wednesday report.

Following the news, NBA fans on Reddit began predicting Hayes to continue critiquing Embiid to boost his readership.

"He may not touch that again, but he sure as s**t is going to triple down on Embiid slander. He's got a national audience now," junkit33 said.

Comment byu/mastermind208 from discussion innba

"Every time Embiid has a bad game/(is) out for load management, he'll get quoted," @raizen0106 wrote.

Comment byu/mastermind208 from discussion innba

"He's not a good person. I wouldn't be surprised if he writes about the same topic again," @TruthSayerFu said.

However, others pointed out that consistently blasting Embiid may not be a beneficial tactic for Hayes.

"I don't think being an Embiid hater has much mileage, though. Certainly not as much as Skip Bayless and his LeBron (James) hatership," @chilloutfam wrote.

Meanwhile, some felt the ordeal could create an irreparable rift between Embiid and the Sixers.

"Embiid is gonna quit on the team and demand a trade over this. Rightly so," @doodadewd said.

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Joel Embiid set to return from suspension for Marcus Hayes altercation on Nov. 12

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Joel Embiid has been medically cleared to return to action. So, he will make his season debut on Nov. 12 at home against the New York Knicks upon the conclusion of his three-game suspension.

Embiid's return date marks Philly's NBA Cup opener. Meanwhile, the Sixers will be looking to improve upon their rough start (1-5).

If Embiid faces setbacks or struggles upon his return, fans will likely anxiously await Marcus Hayes' coverage.

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