NBA Fines 76ers $100,000 for Misreporting Embiid’s Status
The NBA has officially fined the Philadelphia 76ers $100,000 for violating league rules regarding injury reporting. The penalty stems from the team listing star center Joel Embiid as “out” on its pre-game injury report ahead of their December 1 matchup against the Atlanta Hawks—only for Embiid to unexpectedly take the court in that game.
In the contest, which the 76ers ultimately lost 134–142 in double overtime, Embiid played 30 minutes, scoring 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting along with 4 rebounds. Despite his return, Philadelphia couldn’t secure the win.
However, because the team had officially declared him “out” prior to tip-off—implying he would not play at all—their decision to let him suit up directly contradicted the submitted injury report. This breach violated the NBA’s strict policy requiring teams to provide accurate and transparent player availability information.
This isn’t the first time the 76ers have run afoul of these rules. During the 2023 playoffs, the team was previously fined for vague and misleading statements about Embiid’s health status, which also failed to meet league standards for injury disclosures.
Given this history of non-compliance, the NBA took the 76ers’ prior violations into account when determining the severity of the current penalty—resulting in the substantial $100,000 fine.
The league enforces rigorous injury-reporting protocols to ensure competitive fairness, allowing opposing teams, fans, and broadcast partners to make informed decisions based on reliable player status updates. By misrepresenting Embiid’s availability, the 76ers undermined both the integrity of the rules and the spirit of fair play—making the punishment not only justified but necessary.