Report: Tyrese Maxey Confronted Joel Embiid About Tardiness in Team Meeting
The Philadelphia 76ers are already on the precipice of a lost season, boasting a 2-11 record to start the 2024-25 NBA season. The low point so far was Monday night's 106-89 loss to the Miami Heat in which the whole team looked listless. Such a performance doesn't come without consequences and the 76ers elected to hold a team meeting afterward.
On Tuesday, ESPN's Shams Charania revealed the details of the meeting— and the confrontation between the 76ers' two biggest stars.
Charania reports Tyrese Maxey, who missed Monday's game due to a hamstring strain, called out Joel Embiid's habit of not being on time for ... well, anything.
"Maxey challenged Embiid to be on time to team activities, calling out the 2022-23 league MVP about being late "for everything" and how it impacts the locker room, from other players to the coaching staff, sources briefed on the meeting told ESPN," Charania wrote. "Embiid accepted the messages sent in the meeting, sources said, but he stated that he is sometimes confused about what the 76ers are attempting to execute on the court."
Charania additionally noted that the 76ers' teammates have "close friendship" and "history of holding each other accountable."
It is never a good sign when a team meeting is required less than a quarter of the way into the season. But hard conversations can lead to greater success.
The 76ers will try to turn the ship around next on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies.