The NBA fined Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid $50,000 for making a lewd gesture during Friday's 109-108 loss to the Boston Celtics. The incident occurred in the first quarter after Embiid completed an and-one play. Embiid responded on X, calling out referees for similar gestures.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has been fined $50,000 by the NBA for a lewd gesture on the court during the team's NBA Cup game against the Boston Celtics on Oct. 31, 2025, in Philadelphia. The league announced the penalty on Sunday, Nov. 2, via executive vice president James Jones. With 7:08 remaining in the first quarter, Embiid scored on a shot, drew a foul, and celebrated with a chopping gesture toward his groin, mimicking the WWE Degeneration X 'crotch chop.' He completed the three-point play and finished the game with 20 points in the narrow 108-109 defeat.
This marks at least the fourth time Embiid has been fined for the gesture, including $75,000 in December 2024 during another Celtics matchup, $35,000 in October 2023, and $25,000 in January 2023. Embiid, a seven-time All-Star, has expressed his fandom for wrestling, particularly Triple H and DX. In 2023, he said, 'There's no secret that Triple H is my guy. Obviously, DX, when I used to watch wrestling, those were my guys. ... I felt like it was a good and-1. I got the ball, I didn't even see the rim, and I felt like it was deserving of a good celebration.'
Embiid responded to the fine on X, quote-tweeting the NBA's announcement: 'Yall better start fining the refs for doing the "Lewd", "blocking foul" gesture since I'm not allowed to do it #NFL.' The 76ers are 4-1 this season, with Embiid averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 0.5 steals in 22-plus minutes per game while on a minutes restriction due to knee surgeries. He scored at least 20 points for the third straight outing against Boston but missed the prior game against the Orlando Magic for rest and will sit out Sunday's matchup with the Brooklyn Nets.
