Our favorite superstar, Joel Embiid, just got hit with another one. A jaw-dropping five-figure fine in a recent instance, $50,000 for flashing the infamous D-Generation X “crotch chop” during a game. For a few seconds of peak entertainment, the 2023 MVP had to fork over cash that could buy a luxury car.

But before the league’s disciplinary arm could even finish counting the money, Joel Embiid fired back on X with a shot that hit the core of the NBA’s governance: “Y’all better start fining the refs for doing the ‘Lewd’, ‘blocking foul’ gesture since I’m not allowed to do it.”

Boom! The MVP didn’t just pay up; he started a massive debate on the integrity of the whistle. If a player gets penalized for a lewd gesture, how is it okay for an official to make a visually similar signal? It’s the ultimate, fan-favorite. If I get fined, so should they.

Joel Embiid isn’t new to this; he practically has a frequent-flier card for the NBA’s discipline office. This isn’t a one-off playful taunt; it’s a repeat offense the NBA has been tracking.

He’s been on a clear financial escalation path: earlier fines went from a $25,000 tap to a $35,000 warning, and once even a massive $75,000 penalty for doing a full four-part series of the chop on a holiday game.

The league calls this a violation of NBA Rule 12, which serves as the umbrella for “unsportsmanlike conduct,” encompassing everything from yelling at an official to making obscene gestures.

For a millionaire athlete, these escalating fines aren’t about the money; they are the league’s public commitment to its professional image. The league is saying, ‘We’re protecting the brand, no matter how viral the celebration is,’ and it reinforces that by publicly announcing every single player’s fine, as mandated by the Head of Basketball Operations.

Embiid’s whole public case rests on one undeniable truth: the visual parallel. The DX celebration is a rapid, downward hand chop toward the groin, a pure, intended taunt borrowed from professional wrestling.

In comparison, the official NBA signal for a blocking foul requires the referee to place both hands on their hips or waist to communicate the foul.

Here is where the fan outrage sparks: in the chaotic, high-speed blur of an NBA game, when an official makes that blocking call quickly or with a little too much downward force, the resulting motion can absolutely look like a slightly less aggressive version of the chop.

Joel Embiid validated this by immediately posting a clip showing a referee making the gesture he deemed similar, making the comparison impossible to ignore.

The league’s defense is entirely about Intent. The player’s intent is obscenity; the ref’s intent is a purely technical communication protocol laid out in Rule 2.

But to the fan at home, the player who paid the fine, and Joel Embiid himself, the appearance of hypocrisy is the final verdict. How can the ultimate authority figure perform an action that structurally mimics the very thing they just punished a star for?

Player Fines are Public, Ref Discipline is The NBA’s Secret

This is the deeper policy problem Joel Embiid has exposed. When a player is fined, it becomes mandatory public knowledge. But for the referees? It’s a completely different story.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has explicitly stated that disciplinary measures are kept strictly internal and private. The league argues that disclosing mistakes and penalties would “jeopardize the official’s authority” and lead to players aggressively exploiting that weakness on the court.

Instead of public fines, officials face internal performance reviews that, crucially, impact their assignments and, most importantly, their eligibility for high-paying playoff games. This is a financial penalty, but one that remains completely shielded from public view.

The NBA is in a tough spot, trading public accountability for the sake of on-court authority. The officials’ union even opposes increased transparency, reinforcing the narrative that officials are protected from scrutiny.

The controversy ignited by Joel Embiid proves that a quick, provocative gesture from a player can expose a giant policy gap in how the league disciplines its employees, which is why fans are demanding the NBA clarify its rulebook.