Joel Embiid Immediately Calls Out NBA After Being Fined $50k For Doing The Crotch Chop

The big man has a point.

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Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was handed a $50,000 fine by the NBA on Sunday after "making a lewd gesture" during his team's loss to the Boston Celtics. That "lewd gesture" was a blatantly obvious crotch chop after an and-one in the first quarter.

Pulling out the crotch chop before the midway point of the first quarter of a regular-season game is a bold play, but to each his own. Embiid has done the crotch chop celebration a few other times throughout his career as well.

The NBA released a statement about Embiid being fined $50k on X, and just about 30 minutes after it was posted, the big man decided to quote it with some thoughts of his own, taking aim at NBA officials.

Embiid's sentiment about some NBA referees being overzealous when calling blocking fouls is valid. He even posted a video example of a referee virtually humping the air, twice, while calling a block in a game.

Embiid was not penalized for the gesture during the game, likely because the referees didn't see it. He went on to complete the three-point play at the free-throw line and finished the contest with 20 points.

Embiid underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April, and Philadelphia is easing him back into things with limited minutes early on this season. The 31-year-old is averaging 17.3 points per game while playing just over 22 minutes per night.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, but wants it on the record that he does not bleed orange. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets, including BroBible, SB Nation, and The Spun. Mark also wrote for the Chicago Cubs' Double-A affiliate in 2016, the year the curse was broken. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.