Joel Embiid has been fined $75,000 for making obscene gestures during play against the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day.
Completely embracing the villain role, Embiid trolled Boston’s fans throughout the evening while also coming away with the last laugh as the Philadelphia 76ers emerged victorious, 118-114.
The 2022-23 MVP finished the game with 27 points, nine rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes.
Embiid waves goodbye to Boston fans as Philly walks away with the Christmas win 🎄 pic.twitter.com/c0AQWDeebj
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 26, 2024
Making Headlines
Not for the first time this season, Embiid has made the headlines for reasons separate from his on-court performance.
On Dec. 23, the 30-year-old was ejected from a game against the San Antonio Spurs after losing it on the officials when called for an offensive foul while making a move against Victor Wembanyama.
Just over a month ago, the details of a Sixers team meeting leaked and revealed co-star Tyrese Maxey expressing frustration over Embiid’s punctuality when it came to attending team events, meetings and the like.
On Nov. 6, the league suspended Embiid three games for an altercation with Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes in the Sixers locker room. Hayes wrote an article mentioning Embiid’s son and late brother in poor taste.
Injury Woes Don’t Help
While all those events above are in Embiid’s control, his struggles with a knee injury have done little to aid his cause in keeping the attention to what he does on the court.
Embiid has played in only nine of Philadelphia’s 28 games thus far, one of the main reasons the team is just 11-17 and on the outside looking into the playoff picture.
The five-time All-NBA player is listed as questionable with a left foot sprain for the Sixers’ next game against the Utah Jazz on Dec. 28.
