The NBA penalized Philadelphia 76ers player Joel Embiid $50,000 because of an “indecent action” during the Sixers’ 109-108 defeat to the Boston Celtics. Subsequent to making a scoring opportunity plus a free throw in the initial quarter against the Celtics, Embiid performed the well-known Degeneration X chop gesture which he has been recognized to do across the years. As a result, the league issued Embiid a significant fine, even though he is accustomed to losing this amount of money from that precise gesture during the past few years.
During 2023, Embiid was issued a pair of penalties for executing the identical action, and based on appearances, he doesn’t seem like he’s giving up the maneuver, regardless of the continuous penalties from the league. Embiid likes portraying the antagonist, therefore it shouldn’t be a surprise that he employs a wrestling gesture as his standard action whenever he completes a significant play.
Embiid has previously spoken about his appreciation for wrestling, particularly his affection for Triple H and the entire DX crew when he was younger.
“There’s no secret that Triple H is my guy,” Embiid said in 2023. “Obviously, DX, when I used to watch wrestling, those were my guys. Any time I get the chance, I haven’t done it in a while so I just 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.”
The association may persist in penalizing Embiid for the gesture, although it doesn’t appear as though that will prevent him from continuing to utilize it anytime shortly.
