Joel Embiid did not stay silent following the Philadelphia 76ers’ loss to the Boston Celtics in their first NBA Cup matchup, where he was hit with a $50,000 fine for making a lewd gesture.
After the fine was officially announced, Embiid fired back on X, pointing to what he sees as inconsistencies from the referees. “Yall better start fining the refs for doing the ‘Lewd,’ ‘blocking foul’ gesture since I’m not allowed to do it,” Embiid wrote, later posting a video showing a referee making the same gesture. Here’s the clip:
Joel Embiid was fined for an offensive gesture after hitting a tough shot and mimicking a move popularized by the WWE’s D-Generation X, the faction led by Shawn Michaels and Triple H.
Clearly, there’s some frustration from Embiid’s perspective. He likely didn’t see the gesture as offensive, considering its origins in another industry, but the NBA interpreted it differently. The action crossed the league’s ethical and conduct boundaries, resulting in the $50,000 fine.
Tough stretch for Embiid
The Sixers will start a three-game road trip on Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets with Embiid sidelined. He is out for left knee injury management and is expected to return on Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls.
Embiid’s performance against the Celtics
Embiid delivered a strong performance against the Boston Celtics, finishing with 20 points, six rebounds, and three assists. He was the second-leading scorer for the 76ers, behind Tyrese Maxey.
Despite his solid numbers, Embiid has missed multiple games this NBA season. The team hopes to have him fully healthy to complement Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe. Through four games, the seven-time All-Star is averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 block in 22.3 minutes per contest.