Joel Embiid Says Signature Celebration is a Tribute to WWE's DX

Sixers star Joel Embiid recently explained his signature celebration and described it as a tribute to WWE's DX.

Back in December, the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center hours before ringing in the new year. During the first half of the blowout victory, Sixers center Joel Embiid picked up an And-1 and celebrated the bucket by thrusting the air while laying on his back.

What seemed like a one-time celebration turned into a reoccurring move as Embiid made it his signature celebration after every And-1 he picked up that forced him to the floor. After he busted out the move a few times, many speculated the celebration resembled a popular move from former WWE stable, DX.

As it turns out, those who assumed it was a tribute to the Triple H, Shawn Michaels-led group were correct. During Wednesday night's Game 2 matchup against the Washington Wizards, Embiid once again flashed brilliance as he went up for a flashy layup through traffic.

Joel Embiid had all of Philly on its feet after this and-one 😤 pic.twitter.com/6kWuQ873cy

— ESPN (@espn) May 27, 2021

Not only did Embiid pick up a foul, but as he was sent crashing to the ground, his shot went in and gave the Sixers two points. Embiid, who laid on the floor for a moment, broke out the signature move once again. Although he only briefly talked about his celebration before on Adrian Wojnarowski's podcast, the Sixers' big man explained the reasoning behind his celebration following Wednesday night's victory.

YA HEAR THAT??? HIT THE MUSIC pic.twitter.com/3DsBKesapl https://t.co/zDYvXctLk4

— Jeff McDevitt (@JeffMcDev) May 27, 2021

“It’s fun," Embiid explained. "I missed the crowd. I mentioned that in the past, DX is my favorite. Triple H and Shawn Michaels were my favorite wrestlers. Obviously, the group was also my favorite, and that’s what they used to do. When the refs called the And-1, it just makes sense to combine the both of them and just enjoy myself.”

While Embiid has certainly toned down his on-court antics over the last two seasons, the big man still finds different ways to have fun every now and then. As the 76ers gained a 2-0 lead over their first-round playoff opponent on Wednesday, the four-time All-Star had a blast getting it done.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.