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Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid criticized the NBA’s decision to fine him $50,000 for a “lewd gesture” he made during the team’s 109-108 loss to the Boston Celtics.
Embiid tried to shoot in the first quarter on Friday night when he was fouled. He took the shot and appeared to celebrate with a “crotch slam,” made famous in WWE during the height of the “Attitude Era.”
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Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid reacts after a basket and a foul during the first half of an NBA Championship basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
On Sunday, the NBA fined the center and he did not seem very happy.
“They better start fining referees for making the ‘lewd’ gesture, ‘blocking the foul,’ since I’m not allowed to do that,” he wrote in a post on X.
He then posted a GIF of an NBA official making a strong sign to signal a blocking foul in an unrelated game.
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Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers (L) and Triple H perform before game one of the Eastern Conference second-round series between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Atlanta Hawks at the then-Wells Fargo Center on June 6, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Embiid has been known to do the “crotch chop” gesture in celebration during games in the past. So much so, that it attracted professional wrestling legend Paul Leveque, of the WWE D-Generation X faction, to the Xfinity Arena at the height of the 76ers’ success in recent years.
The loss to the Celtics was the first of the season for the 76ers.
Embiid, who battled injuries during the 2024-25 season, has 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game this season.
Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid tries to rally fans after making a basket and foul during the second half of an NBA Championship basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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Embiid is a seven-time All-Star and one-time MVP.
