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Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has lashed out after getting hit with a $50K fine for exhibiting a “lewd gesture” in a 109-108 loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday. Joel Embiid fined $50K for making lewd gesture on playing court. https://t.co/V2RQagAAUA— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) November 2, 2025 The seven-time All-Star big man, 31, has had an uneven start to his season. He’s playing under a strict minutes limit as he recovers from a pair of knee surgeries over the past two seasons, but has managed to put up big numbers even during his limited run. More news: 76ers Receive Exciting Prediction From NBA Insiders Still, Embiid is making the most of his finite minutes, averaging a respectable 17.3 points while slashing .460/.389/.800, along with 5.3 boards, 3.5 dimes, 1.0 rejections and 0.5 swipes per bout. For the first time since his emergence on the season, however, Embiid is something of an afterthought for Philadelphia. Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after their 105-103 win over the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on October 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. That’s because the team seems to have stumbled upon its backcourt of the future. Point guard Tyrese Maxey, already an All-Star, appears to have leveled up to an All-NBA tier, emerging as the new hub of head coach Nick Nurse’s fast-paced offense. In his five games for the 4-1 76ers, the 6-foot-2 Kentucky product has been averaging an impressive 35.2 points on .462/.468/.868 shooting splits, 9.4 dimes, and 4.6 boards a night — all career bests for the sixth-year Kentucky product. No. 3 draft pick V.J. Edgecombe, meanwhile, has become an early Rookie of the Year favorite thanks to his confident scoring. The former Baylor Bears shooting guard has been averaging 21.2 points while slashing .494/.438/.800, 5.6 rebounds, 5.4 dishes, and 1.2 steals across 40.2 minutes per. More news: Joel Embiid Calls Out 76ers’ Minutes Restriction Management Embiid took to his own X account to take umbrage with the decision, quote-tweeting NBA Communications’ own announcement of the fine. Yall better start fining the refs for doing the “Lewd”, “blocking foul” gesture since I’m not allowed to do it #NFL https://t.co/WCkaPCOl9I— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) November 2, 2025 Curiously, Embiid shouted out the NFL in his post. “Yall better start fining the refs for doing the ‘Lewd’, ‘blocking foul’ gesture since I’m not allowed to do it #NFL,” Embiid wrote. This isn’t the first time Embiid has been fined for mid-game behavior. Last year, he was suspended for three games — and forced to surrender $1,063,778 of his salary — after shoving a media member during a clash with the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 5, 2024. On Dec. 27, 2024, he was dinged $75K after he made obscene gestures on the court, also during a Celtics matchup. Still, the veteran big man can afford to lose what essentially amounts to pocket change. He’s making $55.2 million this season, and will enjoy a three-year, $118.2 million maximum extension starting in 2026-27. Embiid’s health and mileage may make him exceedingly difficult to trade over the course of that deal, which expires after his age-34 season. More news: 76ers Announce Paul George Injury News Ahead of Magic Game For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
