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According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has been fined $35,000 for his crotch chop celebration after scoring an 'and one' basket in a 126-98 win against the Portland Trailblazers on Sunday. The Triple H impression and the consequent fine had many NBA fans trolling the reigning MVP.
This is not the first time Embiid has gotten into trouble for using the gesture. The Sixers center brought out the DX crotch chop celebration in a win over the Nets in January 2023, which led to a fine from the league office for $25,000. NBA fans didn't seem to overly mind the latest iteration of the celebration, though they were quick to mock the big man.
Joel Embiid delivers his most dominant performance of the season
Sunday's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers started with Joel Embiid being listed as questionable following the team's back-to-back outing. Embiid would end up taking to the court after being cleared to play following the pregame warmup. Nobody had an inkling he was about to put up his most impressive performance of the season.
He was dominant right off the bat, delivering 35 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and six blocks in just 29 minutes on the floor. The center's performance was a warning to the league on what to expect from him this season.
Joel Embiid's rounded performance led the team to a blowout win against the Trail Blazers. He spoke about his dominant performance:
"The key has been to just really let the game come to me. Not force anything, take what's available, whether it's finding my teammates or just being aggressive," Embiid said.
While Embiid isn't known as a good passer necessarily, his improved playmaking couldn't be overlooked as he broke the Blazers' defense with nifty passes.
In the first three games of the 2023-24 season, Joel Embiid is active on both sides of the court. Perhaps new Sixers coach Nick Nurse has something to do with his thriving two-way performance.
