Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts after a score against the Portland Trail Blazers during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

NBA punishes Joel Embiid for WWE-themed celebration during game

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated 10/31/23

The NBA did not find Joel Embiid’s Shawn Michaels impression to be very amusing.

The league announced Tuesday that the Philadelphia 76ers reigning MVP has been fined $35,000 for a celebration that he did in the middle of Sunday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers. They described it as an “obscene gesture” in their press release announcing the punishment.

The incident occurred in the third quarter of the 76ers’ 126-98 victory over the Blazers at home. Embiid scored an and-one basket in transition and celebrated by doing a series of emphatic crotch chops in the style of the famous D-Generation X wrestling stable (consisting of Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chyna, and others).

Take a look at Embiid’s celebration.

JOEL IS FIRED UP pic.twitter.com/dnfKmpPEl6

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) October 30, 2023

Embiid is a big-time WWE fan and once even trolled a superstar opponent with a D-Generation X-themed hype video. What’s more is that Embiid was already fined by the league for another crotch-chop celebration last season. The seven-footer is clearly sticking to his guns though and will now have to pay a $35,000 fine instead of the $25,000 one that he got last time.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: