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Kings analyst rips into Joel Embiid’s ‘flopping’

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Benedetto Vitale, ClutchPoints | Last updated Jan 29, 2026 8:45 PM ET

The Philadelphia 76ers lead the Sacramento Kings 60-54 going into halftime. It’s a close contest, as both teams are going at it. However, an analyst during the game is seemingly growing tired of Joel Embiid, as she called him out for flopping.

In the middle of the contest, Kings analyst Kayte Christensen pointed to the number of times the 31-year-old center has shot free throws in the 76ers’ last five games. Christensen blasts Embiid for flopping and forcing himself to the charity stripe. She believes that he is too talented to play that type of basketball.

“I think sometimes there’s a little bit of flopping going on… throwing yourself into a defender and getting the benefit of a whistle, you’re too good for that.”

"I think sometimes there's a little bit of flopping going on… throwing yourself into a defender and getting the benefit of a whistle, you're too good for that."

Kings analyst Kayte Christensen on Joel Embiid getting to the free throw line a lot pic.twitter.com/Etx6SCjOgU

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 30, 2026

Joel Embiid has had 52 free-throw attempts in his last five games, not including Thursday’s contest against the Kings. Additionally, this isn’t the first time Embiid, or other superstars in the NBA, have been accused of flopping. It’s been a growing issue for several years, as officials have seemed to call nearly everything a foul these days.

The seven-time All-Star has played in 26 games so far this season, missing out on 20 games. However, when healthy, Embiid has remained as consistent as ever. He’s averaging 25.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while owning a 48.5% field goal percentage, 27.9% three-point percentage, and 85.9% free-throw percentage.

Embiid has played a key role in helping the 76ers remain firmly in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference. The club entered Thursday’s contest against the Kings as the No. 6 seed and is 1.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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