NBA fines Joel Embiid for 'obscene gesture' on court

The NBA has fined Sixers center Joel Embiid $35K for “repeatedly making an obscene gesture on the playing court,” the league announced on Tuesday.

The incident occurred late in the third quarter of Philadelphia’s home-opening win on Sunday against Portland, with the reigning MVP making four consecutive crotch chops after making a basket while being fouled.

The reigning MVP is making $47.6M this season, so the fine won’t impact him much financially. He’s under contract through 2027, though the final season is a player option.

Embiid is off to another strong start in 2023-24, averaging 31.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 7.0 APG, 1.0 SPG and 3.0 BPG on .547/.429/.654 shooting through three games. The 76ers are 2-1 and their next game is on Thursday vs. Toronto.

Of course, the biggest Sixers news on Tuesday came overnight, as James Harden got his wish and is being traded to the Clippers. You can read more details about the deal here.