Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has been fined $50,000 for making a lewd gesture during a recent game against the Boston Celtics. James Jones, the NBA’s executive vice president and head of basketball operations, issued the fine on Sunday. This decision comes on the heels of Embiid’s controversial on-court behavior that has garnered a great deal of outrage and attention.
The incident occurred with 7:08 remaining in the first quarter when Embiid scored while being fouled. After the dunk, he followed it up with a gesture interpreted variously as “lewd” or “blocking foul” gesture. This action was a non-lethal chopping motion aimed at his groin. Embiid’s behavior has raised serious questions about the consistency of the officials in the league.
In a tweet posted on November 2, 2025, Embiid expressed his frustration regarding the fine and questioned the league’s stance on gestures made by players versus those made by officials during games. He wondered aloud, “What’s the distinction between what I’m doing and what public officials are doing when they announce a blocking foul?” This comment says more about his continued petulance over the way he has been treated on the field versus officials in the game than it does with anything above.
This is hardly the first time that Embiid has skirted punishment for inappropriate gestures. He has four previous judicial fines for making the same or similar gestures. Remarkably, one of these fines went up to $75,000 in December of 2024, after a game in which he performed several such gestures. The other recent fines were $35k in Oct 2023 and $25k in Jan 2023.
Although the 76ers have been riding high through most of December, they’ve hit a rough patch in their recent games. On Friday, they lost by the narrowest of margins to the Boston Celtics, 109-108. Embiid’s action has triggered a fierce debate among fans and analysts. Some are rethinking the way we make judgment calls about player conduct and what punishment should immediately follow.
As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how this latest incident will impact Embiid’s gameplay and the perception of him within the league. His new-found use of social media to share his thought process shows he’s out to address concerns from both the fans and the critics.
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