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Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid slammed the NBA’s decision to fine him $50,000 over a “lewd gesture” he made during the team’s 109-108 loss to the Boston Celtics.
Embiid went up for a shot in the first quarter on Friday night when he was fouled. He made the shot and appeared to celebrate the make with a “crotch chop” – made famous in the 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 Cup basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, in Philadelphia. (Chris Szagola/AP Photo)
On Sunday, the NBA levied a fine against the center and he didn’t appear to be too pleased.
“Yall better start fining the refs for doing the ‘Lewd’, ‘blocking foul’ gesture since I’m not allowed to do it,” he wrote in a post on X.
He then posted a GIF of an NBA official making an energetic signal to signal a blocking foul at an unrelated game.
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 then-Wells Fargo Center on June 6, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Embiid has been known to make the “crotch chop” gesture in celebration during games in the past. So much so, that it drew pro wrestling legend Paul Leveque, of the WWE faction D-Generation X, to the Xfinity Arena at the height of the 76ers’ success in recent years.
The loss to the Celtics was the 76ers’ first of the season.
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 the fans after making a basket and getting a foul during the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, in Philadelphia. (Chris Szagola/AP Photo)
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Embiid is a seven-time All-Star and one-time MVP.
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