Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid fined $35K by NBA for making "obscene gesture" vs. Trail Blazers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The NBA fined Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid $35,000 for his D-Generation X/Triple H celebration in Sunday's victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Embiid was fined for "repeatedly making an obscene gesture on the playing court," Joe Dumars, the NBA's executive vice president and head of basketball operations, announced.
The NBA said the incident happened with roughly two minutes left in the third quarter in Philadelphia's 126-98 win against the Trail Blazers. The reigning MVP made a layup to put the Sixers ahead by 22 points and then did the celebration.
It's not the first time Embiid has been fined for the "obscene gesture."
Last season, Embiid was fined $25,000 by the NBA for doing the same celebration in a game vs. the Brooklyn Nets. Triple H even came to Embiid's defense after the fine.
Embiid has been doing the D-Generatiom X/Triple H celebration after big plays over the past few seasons. The Sixers even had Triple H ring the bell before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. the Atlanta Hawks in 2021.
Triple H once again reached out to Embiid on X, formerly known as Twitter, about the fine, saying "I know a place where you can do that all day, and everyone will love it," referring to Wrestlemania 40 in Philadelphia in 2024.
But, Embiid replied and said he doesn't think he'll be in the city for the event.
Embiid and the Sixers are off until Thursday, but president of basketball operations Daryl Morey was busy in the early hours of the morning on Tuesday.
A team source confirmed to CBS News Philadelphia that Morey traded James Harden in a package to the Los Angeles Clippers for Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, KJ Martin, multiple draft picks, including two first-rounders, and a pick swap.
