PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Paul George's debut with the Philadelphia 76ers is on hold and Joel Embiid is again set to miss time with an injury.
Embiid and George will miss Wednesday’s season opener against Milwaukee and could miss more games as the All-Stars expected to try to lead Philadelphia to its first championship since 1983 return from injuries.
George was set to make his Sixers debut after he left the Los Angeles Clippers and signed a four-year, $212 million contract as a free agent this summer. But the 34-year-old George got a bone bruise when he hyperextended his left knee during a preseason game.
The Sixers did not say Tuesday how many more games George could miss; his return to play will be assessed later in the week.
The Bucks also lost a dose of star power ahead of the game as the NBA opens this week.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday that Bucks forward Khris Middleton also isn't expected to play in the opener. The three-time All-Star hasn't had any 5-on-5 work in the preseason as he recovers from offseason surgeries to each of his ankles.
“It’s pretty 100% to 99,” Rivers said of the likelihood that Middleton won't play.
A nine-time All-Star, George was injured when his knee buckled on a defensive play in the second quarter of a game last week against Atlanta.
George has dealt with injuries for much of his career before he played 76 games last season, the first time he played more than 56 since 2018-19.
He discussed the bone bruise this week on his “Podcast P with Paul George." A six-time All-NBA selection, George said his knee was stable with no major damage, nor did it cause any long-term concern over his health.
“My leg literally just got stuck. I don’t even know what else to call it. Just my knee locked up, my leg locked up,” George said on his podcast. “When I went to go push off, all my momentum is going forward and my leg, it just caused it to go inwards. I know I’m thinking of when I seen it immediately I was like, ah, this don’t feel right, this don’t feel right."
The Sixers' schedule also includes games Sunday at Indiana and home games Wednesday and Saturday.
“I’m going to be good. I’m going to be good,” George said. "I should be back hopefully sooner than later, but it won’t be a long timetable I would imagine.”
The Sixers are down a familiar road with Embiid.
He did not play in the preseason because of a sore left knee.
The Sixers said Embiid was “responding well” to his individualized rehab plan and was scheduled to scrimmage this week. Embiid also will miss Friday’s game against Toronto and will be reevaluated this weekend.
“There's been no setbacks,” coach Nick Nurse told reporters at the 76ers' complex in New Jersey. “He's really active. He's lost some weight. He's out on the court. Just kind of sticking with our plan of making sure we're getting into a really, really good place before we play him live.”
The 30-year-old, who won an Olympic gold medal in Paris with Team USA, signed a $193 million contract ahead of training camp. The 76ers have failed to advance out of the second round of the playoffs since 2001, in large part because Embiid has failed to stay healthy for an entire postseason.
Embiid has never played more than 68 games in a season and was limited to 39 last season in large part because of knee surgery. He tore the meniscus in his left knee on Jan. 30 and had surgery on Feb. 6.
“We've got to do whatever it takes to make sure that in the postseason I'm healthy,” Embiid said in September. “It's whatever it takes to make sure I get to that point and I'm ready to go. Basically, every single year of my career I've been hurt in the playoffs. That's the goal, doing whatever it takes to get there.”
The 76ers finished 31-8 last season season with Embiid — about a 65-win pace — and a woeful 16-27 without him.
Embiid revealed ahead of training camp that he dropped about 25 to 30 pounds over the summer to stay in better condition for the long grind of the season. That includes not rushing back from any further issues with the knee.
“Until I'm at that point where they feel like I'm ready to go, I'm sure they're going to hold me back,” Embiid said at the team's media day. “I believe with the guys that we have, and what I can bring to the table, we have a pretty good chance (at a title).”
He has five All-NBA Team honors, seven consecutive All-Star selections from 2017-24, three All-Defensive Team nods and twice has been the NBA scoring champion.
With George joining the 2023 NBA MVP in Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers were expected to boast one of the most formidable trios in the league as they try to put together a nucleus that can compete with the defending champion Boston Celtics.
Maxey is expected to play after the guard suffered a bruised right thumb in the preseason.
As for the Bucks, Rivers said Middleton's injury is more of a day-to-day issue and shouldn't keep him out long. A variety of injuries limited Middleton to 55 regular-season games last year and 33 in 2022-23.
“I’d say if this was a playoff game, he’d probably be playing, or close to it,” Rivers said.
Taurean Prince has been starting in Middleton's place during the preseason.
AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Milwaukee contributed to this report.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
76ers rule Embiid and George out for the season opener with injuries
Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) drives to the basket past Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
76ers rule Embiid and George out for the season opener with injuries
NEW YORK (AP) — Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries, his romantic partner and a third man were arrested Tuesday on charges of luring men into drug-laced, outlandish and coercive sex parties by dangling the promise of modeling for the retailer's once-defining beefcake ads.
For almost 20 years, Jeffries, his partner Matthew Smith and their employee James Jacobson used Jeffries’ status, wealth and a web of household staffers to fulfill the couple's sexual desires and keep it all secret, according to a federal indictment.
“Sexually exploiting vulnerable human beings is a crime. And doing so by dangling dreams of a future in fashion or modeling ... is no different,” Brooklyn-based U.S. attorney Breon Peace said at a news conference. He called the case a warning "to anyone who thinks they can exploit and coerce others by using the so-called casting couch system.”
The charges echo sexual misconduct accusations made in a civil case and the media in recent years. Lawyers representing Jeffries in a federal sex trafficking lawsuit have said he “vehemently denies” those allegations.
Jeffries wore a broad smile but didn’t comment Tuesday as he left a federal courthouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., after being released on a $10 million bond. His attorney, Brian Bieber, also didn't comment.
Smith, a dual U.S.- British citizen, was ordered detained after prosecutors raised concerns that he might flee the country.
His lawyers, Joseph Nascimento and David Raben, and Bieber said by email they would respond to the allegations in court “when appropriate.”
Jacobson didn't address the charges during his court appearance in St. Paul, Minnesota, other than to say, “I understand what they claim,” and didn't comment as he left the courthouse on $500,000 bond.
Jacobson has said previously that he didn’t engage in or know about any coercive, deceptive or forceful behavior. Messages seeking comment were sent to his attorney.
The three defendants are charged with sex trafficking and interstate prostitution involving 15 unnamed accusers.
The case is the latest sex crime prosecution of a prominent and wealthy man — from Sean “Diddy” Combs to Harvey Weinstein — accused of abusing his position as a star or possible star-maker, though the status of the cases and important aspects of the allegations vary. An early accuser of the late Jeffrey Epstein said he groped her during a 1997 meeting arranged as a modeling interview for the Victoria’s Secret catalog.
According to the indictment, Jacobson, Jeffries and Smith paid for dozens of men to travel to engage in sex with them and other men in New York and at hotels in England, France, Italy, Morocco and St. Barts between 2008 and 2015. The sometimes graphic indictment describes sexual bacchanals in which the recruited men were given drugs, lubricant, condoms, costumes, sex toys and, sometimes, erection-inducing penile injections that caused painful, hourslong reactions.
The men weren't told ahead of time what sexual practices they'd be expected to engage in — indeed, some itineraries simply resembled those for models' photo shoots — and they were required to sign non-disclosure agreements, the indictment said.
The defendants duped the men — at least one as young as 19, and some of them former Abercrombie store workers — into thinking they'd get Abercrombie modeling gigs, or that refusing to engage in the sexual encounters could harm their prospects, prosecutors said in court documents.
They said the men typically underwent “tryouts” by having sex first with Jacobson, who acted as a recruiter for his bosses.
Peace said at the news conference that prosecutors have “a lot of evidence,” including travel records, financial documents and testimony from accusers and witnesses.
Jeffries left Abercrombie & Fitch in 2014. The New Albany, Ohio-based company, which also encompasses Hollister, declined to comment on his arrest.
Prosecutors don't allege that the company's resources or property were used in the alleged sex scheme.
Abercrombie last year said it had hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation after the BBC reported on similar allegations from a dozen men.
Founded as a hunting and outdoors goods store in 1892, Abercrombie & Fitch was a retail also-ran when Jeffries arrived a century later.
He was credited with transforming it into a darling of turn-of-the-millennium teen mall culture, known for its nouveau-preppy aesthetic and sexy marketing that featured shirtless, muscular male models. Jeffries talked openly about how the company went after attractive kids who could fit into its clothes.
Those remarks alienated customers who didn't fit — literally or otherwise — the brand’s image, and the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession prompted some teens to look to less expensive “fast fashion” chains. By the time Jeffries left, the company's sales were slumping.
A few months after his departure, the retailer announced it would stop using “sexualized” photos in marketing materials in its shops and calling store staffers “models.” The company told regional managers it wouldn't “tolerate discrimination based on body type or physical attractiveness.”
Abercrombie has rebounded in recent years.
AP writer Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed to this report.
Michael Jeffries, center, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, leaves with his attorney Brian Bieber, left, following a hearing at the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Michael Jeffries, center, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, leaves with his attorney Brian Bieber, left, following a hearing at the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Michael Jeffries, center, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, leaves the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse following a hearing, in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Michael Jeffries, right, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, leaves with his attorney Brian Bieber, left, following a hearing at the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Michael Jeffries, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, leaves following a hearing at the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace speaks during a press conference regarding the arrests of former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and his partners as part of sex trafficking investigation at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace speaks during a press conference regarding the arrests of former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and his partners as part of sex trafficking investigation at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace speaks during a press conference in regards to the arrests of former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and his partners as part of sex trafficking investigation at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office James Dennehy speaks during a press conference regarding the arrests of former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and his partners as part of sex trafficking investigation at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office James Dennehy speaks during a press conference in regards to the arrests of former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and his partners as part of sex trafficking investigation at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office James Dennehy speaks during a press conference regarding the arrests of former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and his partners as part of sex trafficking investigation at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace speaks during a press conference regarding the arrests of former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and his partners as part of sex trafficking investigation at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office James Dennehy speaks during a press conference regarding the arrests of former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and his partners as part of sex trafficking investigation at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Commanding officer of the NYPD, Deputy Chief Carlos Ortiz speaks during a press conference in regards to the arrests of former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and his partners as part of sex trafficking investigation at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace speaks during a press conference regarding the arrests of former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and his partners as part of sex trafficking investigation at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
FILE - In this May 22, 2017, file photo, a store window reflects a street scene at an Abercrombie & Fitch store on New York's Fifth Avenue. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)
FILE - Michael Jeffries, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, speaks at the annual National Retail Federation conference on Jan. 13, 2009 in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
