The NBA has fined the Philadelphia 76ers $100,000 for violating injury reporting rules regarding Joel Embiid's status ahead of their November 30 game against the Atlanta Hawks. Embiid was initially listed as out but played 30 minutes in the 76ers' 142-134 double-overtime loss. This marks the second such fine for the team in just over a year.
The league announced the penalty on Wednesday, citing the 76ers' failure to accurately disclose Embiid's availability for the November 30 matchup. Philadelphia had ruled their star center out due to right knee injury management, following nine consecutive missed games. However, Embiid suited up for a season-high 30 minutes, scoring 18 points in the defeat.
Embiid has appeared in only seven of the 76ers' 20 games this season, averaging 19.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 24 minutes per game—figures on pace for career lows. The team sits at 11-9 despite injuries to Embiid, Paul George, and Kelly Oubre Jr. He also missed the following Tuesday's game against the Washington Wizards for right knee injury recovery.
This is not the first time the 76ers have faced such scrutiny. In February 2024, they were fined $75,000 for not disclosing Embiid's knee soreness before a game against the Denver Nuggets. Another $100,000 fine came for a similar incident against the Oklahoma City Thunder, where Embiid was listed as out but played. On October 29, 2024, the NBA penalized them $100,000 again for public statements from general manager Daryl Morey and coach Nick Nurse that were inconsistent with Embiid's health status ahead of the season opener versus the Nuggets. The league's statement noted that the latest fine accounts for the team's prior history of violations.
Embiid's injury history includes playing just 19 games last season before left knee surgery in April 2025, and missing time early this 2025-26 campaign due to right-knee soreness.