The Ringer's Bill Simmons came to one concrete conclusion after watching the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers battle in the NBA Cup: Joel Embiid received the most “ridiculous” call in the NBA.
Embiid was fouled while trying to shoot from beyond the three-point line at a critical moment. The referee called a foul on the Celtics, causing the former NBA MVP to foul three times.
The play was reviewed for hostile behavior. Although nothing came of it, Simmons still believes Embiid got away with it.
pass @BillSimmons: No one gets more ridiculous calls than Embiid — literally no one. He's the only guy who can kick a leg on a 3-pointer, kick someone in the nuts and then hit 3 free throws. So funny. Never change the NBA.
No one gets more ridiculous calls than Embiid — literally no one. He's the only guy who can kick a 3-pointer, kick someone in the nuts and then hit 3 free throws. So funny. Never change the NBA.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 1, 2025
Over the past few seasons, Embiid has taken a lot of free throw attempts.
In the 2020-2021 NBA season, Embiid averaged 10.7 free throws per game, leading the league for the first time in his career.
The following year, Embiid once again led the league in free throw attempts with 11.8 per game in 68 games. While Embiid doesn't lead the NBA in free throw attempts during the 2022-2023 season, he averages 11.7 free throws per game, which ranks second in the league behind Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In the 2023-2024 season, Embiid missed most of the regular season due to a knee injury and only played 39 games. When Embiid returned in time for the playoffs, he returned to the top of the league in field goal attempts per game.
October 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) handles the ball during the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagon Images/Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Like most NBA superstars, Embiid has his fair share of suspects at the free throw line. Obviously, Simmons wasn't happy with Friday's whistle, as he saw Embiid take a total of seven shots from the charity stripe — more than anyone else on the court.
Ultimately, this didn't reflect negatively on the Celtics. Although the Celtics nearly blew a 24-point lead, they narrowly defeated the 76ers 109-108. The Celtics are 3-3 on the year and off to a 1-0 start in the NBA Cup.
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