Several things happened that led to the incident that could have been prevented. Hayes should not have referenced Embiid’s brother and son in a column critical of Embiid’s availability, but the league should not have an incident where a player manhandles a reporter.

That, too, could have been avoided, starting with the Sixers being upfront about the extent of Embiid’s knee problem, which would have given reporters and columnists more context. That doesn’t mean Embiid is immune to criticism, but a complete picture helps form informed opinions. (Embiid has struggled with injuries throughout his career and was limited to 39 games last season after tearing the meniscus in his left knee.)

The Sixers were fined $100,000 last week for violating the league’s player participation policy, and the league concluded that Embiid has a “left knee condition,” an indication that the Sixers have not been forthcoming about the condition of Embiid’s knee.

The Sixers suggesting that Embiid, who has an injury history, shouldn’t play back-to-backs didn’t help. Maybe the Sixers were trying to protect Embiid, but they did more harm than good. There’s no indication that Embiid doesn’t want to play, and considering he’s a 7-foot-4, 280-pound player who moves the way he does and plays with the power he does, it’s not surprising he has a knee problem.