76ers’ Joel Embiid fined $75,000 for ‘obscene gestures’ against the Celtics on Christmas

Joel Embiid is a little lighter in the wallet after he was fined $75,000 for “making obscene gestures on the playing court” during the Philadelphia 76ers’ victory over the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day, the league announced on Friday. 

The incident, or gesture, occurred after Embiid hit a top-of-the-key 3 in the closing seconds of the second quarter. He turned and gave the Boston crowd, shall we say, a variation of the bird. 

A closer look:

Embiid fully embraces the heel role these days. He’s an antagonizer, a flopper, a taunter, all of the above, and if he can channel the energy in ways that keep the quiet momentum the Sixers have started to build rolling, hey, whatever works. 

Embiid, who has played in just nine games this season, finished with 27 points and nine rebounds on Christmas, and Philadelphia has won eight of its last 11 to improve to 11-17. Needless to say, Embiid will not miss the $75,000. He has made over $265 million during his career in salary alone, and he just signed for another $193M through 2029.