Joel Embiid has played only nine games so far. But he has somehow become the most talked-about superstar this season. Unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons! Obviously, his frequent unavailability due to injury concerns remains a major issue. However, he sparked controversy once again on Christmas Day by making some questionable gestures during the win against the Celtics. Sure enough, Adam Silver has penalized the former MVP for his actions. But this time, the NBA World is standing with Embiid.

Well, the first incident occurred in the opening quarter when Embiid scored a tough And-1 layup over two defenders. After falling to the floor, he paid homage to WWE’s iconic DX stable by imitating their ‘Chop to the groin’ taunt. Moreover, Embiid has used this taunt multiple times in the past and even been criticized for it. But it did not end there!

Later, in the closing seconds of the first half, Joel made a tough three-pointer to extend his team’s lead. Adding salt to the Celtics’ wounds, the big man taunted the crowd multiple times with an ‘Up Yours’ gesture with his hands. Obviously, that did not sit well with the NBA and Embiid has been fined $75,000 for making obscene gestures on the hardwood.

However, the decision seems to have backfired on Silver as netizens began roasting the NBA with comments like “Soft league” and “NBA still soft.”

Sure enough, hefty fines have become a major point of concern, as many believe the players are penalized for letting their emotions out on the court these days. Moreover, this practice might have also caused fans to lose interest in the product, which can be seen in the league’s declining ratings this year.

NBA ratings in question while Joel Embiid gets trolled after NBA’s penalty

Despite Silver’s multiple initiatives like the Emirates NBA Cup and the play-in tournament, the ratings are down. Just last week, the league saw a 17% drop in ratings across its main networks. Moreover, the Commissioner has himself acknowledged this issue. Pointing to Embiid’s fine for taunting his opponents, netizens deemed such actions as a major reason for it, “and that’s why the ratings are where they are.”

Well, that could be true considering even Hall of Famer Magic Johnson claimed that the NBA lacks epic rivalries to keep the fans invested. One reason might be that the rivalries never get a chance to catch fire because players get fined by the league if they do something out of the ordinary. Even staring gets called for a technical foul these days!

Obviously, while Adam Silver’s league caught the heat for the fine on Embiid, netizens did not forget to roast the former MVP for getting himself in trouble once again. One netizen hilariously wrote “His punishment should be playing 5 games in a row,” while another wrote, “Just once I want to see Joel Embiid’s name in my newsfeed along with something positive. What is going on with this guy?”

Yes, seeing Embiid on the court has become a rarity this season. From injuries to suspension to ejection, he has been through it all. Sure enough, fans are beginning to get frustrated while the Sixers struggle to stay afloat. Hopefully, the fine will work as motivation and he will become more focused on turning his season around.