Bill Simmons slams Joel Embiid for ‘ridiculous’ fouls

On Friday night, The Philadelphia 76ers met against the Boston Celtics for the second time this season; their first meeting came in the season opener, with Philly outlasting Boston in a back-and-forth affair, 117-116. The 76ers, in NBA Cup action, looked to maintain their undefeated start, but in the end it wasn’t enough, as the Celtics survived their late-game onslaught to come away with a 109-108 victory — with Joel Embiid eventually missing a three-point attempt for the win.

Embiid has been on a minutes limit all season, as he is still in shape after a long battle with knee injuries. But the 76ers star remains a prolific scorer — finishing with 20 points despite a loss to the Celtics — and a potent irritant. During the 76ers-Celtics matchup, Embiid drew the ire of a famous Boston sports fan Bill Simmons for his continued methods of baiting.

“No one gets more ridiculous calls than Embiid – literally no one. He’s the only guy who can kick someone in the nuts and then shoot 3 free throws. It’s hilarious. Don’t ever change the NBA,” Simmons wrote on his official X account (formerly Twitter).

Embiid’s poor drawing ways have yet to return to what they were during his prime. But the 76ers star is such a force on offense that even though he’s noticeably slower to start the year, he’s drawing so much attention defensively.

No one can blame Embiid for overdoing contact; if it works, then it works. He hit seven free throws on Friday and made all of them. But, alas, he missed the shot that would bother him the most. Simmons and the Celtics must be very happy to hand the 76ers their first loss of the new campaign.

76ers on the rise

There was so much uncertainty surrounding the 76ers entering the 2025-26 season. Embiid’s health is always a major question mark, with Paul George having knee surgery in the offseason.

However, Tyrese McKay, VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes have all been great to start the year. Mackey and Edgecombe in particular combined for some electric scoring early in the year.

But with Embiid entering peak form and George is about to make his season debut in a short period of time, there is plenty of room for the 76ers to improve. Their next game is on Sunday, when they face the hapless Brooklyn Nets on the road.