Tuned in to watch the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers battle it out for some NBA Cup action, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons came to a specific conclusion: Joel Embiid gets the most “ludicrous” calls in the NBA.
After Embiid was fouled in crunch time while attempting a shot from beyond the arc, the referees whistled it as a foul against the Celtics, resulting in three foul shots for the former NBA MVP.
The play was reviewed to see if there was a hostile act. Nothing came from it, but Simmons was still convinced that Embiid got away with one.
via @BillSimmons: Nobody gets more ludicrous calls than Embiid – literally no one. He’s the only guy who can kick his legs out on a three, kick someone in the nuts and then shoot 3 free throws. It’s hilarious. Never change NBA.
Nobody gets more ludicrous calls than Embiid – literally no one. He’s the only guy who can kick his legs out on a three, kick someone in the nuts and then shoot 3 free throws. It’s hilarious. Never change NBA.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 1, 2025
Over the past few seasons, Embiid has gotten to the free-throw line at a high volume.
During the 2020-2021 NBA season, Embiid led the league in free throw attempts per game for the first time in his career with 10.7 FTA per game.
In the following year, Embiid led the league once again as he averaged 11.8 free throws per game in 68 matchups. While he didn’t lead the NBA during the 2022-2023 season, Embiid put up 11.7 free throws per game, which was second in the league, behind the Milwaukee Bucks superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The 2023-2024 NBA season only saw 39 games with Embiid during the regular season as he was sidelined with a knee injury for most of the year. When he came back in time for the playoffs, Embiid was back at the top of the league in attempts per game.
Like most NBA superstars, Embiid has his fair share of questionable trips to the line. Clearly, Simmons wasn’t pleased with the whistle on Friday, after he watched Embiid go to the charity stripe for a total of seven shots—more than anybody else on the court.
In the end, it didn’t make a negative difference for the Celtics. Despite nearly choking away their 24-point lead, the Celtics put the Sixers away with a tight 109-108 victory. The Celtics move to 3-3 on the year, and are starting off at 1-0 in NBA Cup action.
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