NBA Fines Joel Embiid For 'Obscene' Celebration vs. Nets
The NBA has issued Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid a $25,000 fine for making an obscene gesture on the playing court.
The incident occurred with 6:01 remaining in the third quarter of the Sixers' 137-133 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 25 at Wells Fargo Center.
Below is the video of the 'obscene' gesture, or celebration, by Embiid ...
Nets' superstar forward Kevin Durant, who did not travel with the team down the New Jersey Turnpike to Wells Fargo Center, was watching the game back in Brooklyn. The reasoning he stayed back in the borough was to focus on his right knee, MCL sprain rehab.
Shortly after Embiid's celebration, Durant took to Twitter to react, stating: 'Trash Celebration.' It wasn't till after the game that Embiid has his own response to Durant's competitive jawing.
Like Durant, Embiid quote-tweeted the Nets star's tweet with a video, inspired by WWE's DX. Here's that video ...
Embiid concluded Philadelphia's win over Brooklyn with a dominant double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds in 35 minutes of play.
Earlier in the contest, the Sixers' big, who is known for his celebrating, delivered some competitive jawing with Net's fourth-year big man Nic Claxton. After Brooklyn's center blocked Embiid's shot, the competitive fire took over. The two bigs got in each other's faces, which led to jawing, and, eventually, double technicals were issued.
"He said something he shouldn't have," Embiid said postgame. "That's why when I walked up to his face, I told him to say it to my face again. That's why he looked away and he didn't say it again. He knows why. There are not a lot of times when I get in those situations. I'm not going to allow any sort of disrespect. That's why he couldn't say it to my face again."
"Let me see. I blocked his shot. I think he was upset there was no foul call. I said something to him. He told me to repeat it, I repeated it and he walked up on me," said Claxton explaining his side of the heated exchange with Embiid on Wednesday night. "I don't know how I got a tech when I say one thing and I'm just sitting there standing. He walks up on me, I get a tech, but I take it so it's a double tech. It's just competition. Just having some fun. So that's how it really is."
The Nets and the Sixers are scheduled to have two more regular season meetings during the 2022-23 season. The two Eastern Conference contenders will meet both times at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Feb. 11 and on Apr. 9.
