The NBA hit Joel Embiid with another fine Tuesday night for his professional wrestling-inspired celebration.
The league announced that it fined Embiid $35,000 for “repeatedly making an obscene gesture on the playing court” during the third quarter of the Sixers’ Sunday night win vs. the Trail Blazers.
Specifically, Embiid did four crotch chops after scoring an and-one layup on Malcolm Brogdon. It was one of many dominant Embiid sequences on a night he posted 35 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and six blocks.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Embiid drew a $25,000 fine last season for using the same move in his first game against former teammate Ben Simmons.
The six-time All-Star center confirmed the celebration’s origins in 2021.
“Triple H and Shawn (Michaels),” Embiid told ESPN’s Zach Lowe on the Lowe Post podcast. “Especially Triple H, my favorite wrestler. We all go back to the DX days, so that’s where I got it from.”
NBA
Triple H took notice of Embiid's latest fine and had a suggestion.
Asked Sunday night about his celebration, Embiid’s initial response was to joke, “I don’t remember.”
“I used to have a lot more energy when it came to getting into it with the crowd,” he said. “I feel like the last three years, I’ve been more focused on taking care of business, not getting too much into that. … I think a lot of people might see it as I’m not as interested, because I’m not the young Joel that I used to be, getting into it with the crowd and raising my hands all the time.
“But that doesn’t mean I’m not as focused or I’m not as interested or I don’t have the same passion. The passion is just different. It’s just about trying to take care of business and trying to win the game. Just doing it differently.”