Joel Embiid says fine to the NBA

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid criticized the NBA’s decision to fine him $50,000 for a “creepy gesture” he made during the team’s 109-108 loss to the Boston Celtics.

Embiid went up for a shot in the first quarter Friday night when he was fouled. He made the shot and appeared to celebrate the mark with a “cut chop” – made famous in WWE during the height of the “Attitude Era”.

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On Sunday, the NBA fined the center, and he didn’t seem too pleased.

“You better start fining the refs for doing the ‘creepy’ ‘blocking obnoxious’ gesture as I’m not allowed to,” he wrote in a post on X.

He then posted a GIF of an NBA official giving an energetic signal to signal a blocking foul on an unrelated play.

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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 former Wells Fargo Center on June 6, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Embiid has previously been known to do the “scortchop” gesture to celebrate during games. So much so that it drew professional wrestling legend Paul Leveque of the WWE faction D-Generation X to 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, is averaging 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 fouled during the second half of an NBA Cup 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.