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Triple H, Shawn Michaels Approve Joel Embiid's DX-Inspired Celebration

WWE legends Triple H and Shawn Michaels recently tweeted at Sixers center Joel Embiid, showing approval of the big man's DX-inspired celebration.
Justin Grasso|
Triple H, Shawn Michaels Approve Joel Embiid's DX-Inspired Celebration
Triple H, Shawn Michaels Approve Joel Embiid's DX-Inspired Celebration

Joel Embiid's love for legendary wrestlers Triple H and Shawn Michaels has been well-documented since he's entered the NBA. A few years back, the Philadelphia 76ers big man paid homage to Triple H during one of his pregame introductions as he entered the arena bowl spitting out a mouthful of water, imitating the WWE legend's in-ring introduction routine.

Although Embiid didn't consistently imitate some of his favorite wrestlers over the years, he did find a celebration that stuck with him this season. When the Sixers faced the Magic in Orlando on New Year's Eve, Embiid busted out a DX-inspired celebration after collecting an And-1.

As he drove to the basket and found himself knocked over with his back on the ground, Embiid didn't get up right away. Instead, he made a thrusting motion. Over the next few months, Embiid broke out the And-1 celebration on several other occasions. While he didn't speak about it too much, the big man did reveal recently that it's all a tribute to his favorite wrestlers.

“It’s fun," Embiid explained on Wednesday, following a dominant Game 2 win over the Wizards. "I missed the crowd. I mentioned that in the past, DX is my favorite. Triple H and Shawn Michaels were my favorite wrestlers. Obviously, the group was also my favorite, and that’s what they used to do. When the refs called the And-1, it just makes sense to combine the both of them and just enjoy myself.”

As Embiid's over-the-top DX celebration dominated social media on Thursday, the big man joined in on the fun and combined the Sixers' "Trust the Process" slogan with DX's popular saying in a tweet on Thursday night.

The following morning, Shawn Michaels and Triple H joined in on the action as they quote tweeted Philly's big man, approving his celebration.

Embiid mentioned many times this season he's having a lot more fun playing basketball again. Now that he's getting attention from some of his favorite wrestlers, you could probably bet his on-court antics won't be slowing down anytime soon as long as the Sixers continue winning in the playoffs.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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