Nov 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse reacts during the second against the Memphis Grizzlies quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher
Now that the NBA has announced a three-game suspension for Joel Embiid following his altercation with Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes, Nick Nurse was able to offer some perspective on the incident:
Nick Nurse on the Joel Embiid / Marcus Hayes incident:
“I’m not sure either person behaved right… everybody’s got a job to do, and both sides need to do them better.”
It's the diplomatic thing to say, of course.
If he sides with Embiid, he's condoning violence - and if a shove is the most violent thing that happens, oh, the horror! - as a means by which (his) players can express their frustration toward media. If he sides with Hayes, he's burning equity with his most important player. That's an extremely dangerous path to take, especially if this team underachieves when all is said and done.
His point about everybody having a job to do and both sides needing to do them better is a notable one, though.
Nurse needs Embiid on the court. Earning a three-game suspension tacked on to the games he's already missed to start the season certainly does not help that cause. It looks even worse with the team starting the season 1-5. As for the other side, Hayes' method of poking at Embiid in his column ahead of the season-opener was clearly unacceptable - not just by basic professional standards, but by his and his employer's own admissions. That The Inquirer is the only outlet to report that the altercation involved more than just a shove, while everyone else who witnessed it says it was just a shove, is problematic. That the initial reporting of the story was inconsistent is problematic.
So, perhaps not the fiery support for his player that fans might've wanted. But, Nurse isn't wrong.
