After finishing a tough basket and drawing an and-1 opportunity against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night, Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid celebrated with a few DX crotch chops.
That decision cost him $25,000, which is what the NBA fined Embiid for his “obscene gesture.” Luckily for Embiid, famous DX member and WWE legend Triple H came to his defense while also offering up a financial solution for any future celebrations.
After the game, Embiid was asked about his eccentric celebration. Embiid said he was a big fan of Triple H and the entire DX team as a child, and it just felt appropriate after such an impressive play.
“There’s no secret that Triple H is my guy,” Embiid said after the game. “Obviously, DX, when I used to watch wrestling, those were my guys. Any time I get the chance, I haven’t done it in a while so I just felt like it was a good and-1. I got the ball, I didn’t even see the rim, and I felt like it was deserving of a good celebration.”
Not everyone was a huge fan of Embiid’s getsure. Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, who missed the game due to injury, tweeted out that it was a “trash celebration.”
Those words probably didn’t bother Embiid because he put on a show en route to a 137-133 win over a division rival. Embiid recorded a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds as the 76ers continued their pursuit of the Boston Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference.