Joel Embiid picks up Pelicans rookie's fine after pair draw double technical fouls
Leave it to Joel Embiid to turn a double technical foul into a classy move.
The Philadelphia 76ers star drew a double technical foul alongside New Orleans Pelicans rookie Jose Alvarado during Tuesday's game after the pair got into it over Embiid shoving Garrett Temple while running the floor.
Not much else came out of the double techs, except a standard fine of $2,000 for each player. That number is nothing to Embiid — current salary: $31,579,390 — but it was something to Alvarado, who is playing on a two-way contract after going undrafted last offseason. Such players are paid half the NBA minimum salary and can be cut from the team at any moment.
Neither player seemed to agree with the technical foul, and Alvarado revealed Thursday that Embiid put his money where his mouth is by offering to pay his fine.
From the Pelicans:
"I told him 'Man, you know I can't afford that tech. Why you want to give me that tech?' No, but he's pretty cool, man. He did a generous thing and actually went out of his way and got in contact with me. He paid the fine for me. We talked during the game, it was all love and respect, heat of the moment, it was nothing personal, just trying to be two ballplayers going at it."
Alvarado added that the two players were exchanging kind words the next time they were at the free-throw line, though there was another incident that resulted in Embiid calling him a "dumbass" after getting knocked to the floor.
Embiid gets undercut, draws a foul, and concludes with “dumb ass”…
Really just a troll that can hoop 🤣 pic.twitter.com/WzA8OKt6gC— Brock Landes (@LandesBrock) January 26, 2022
That would be one of the more colorful incidents so far this year for Alvarado, who is averaging 3.5 points, 1.7 assists and 10.6 minutes in 20 games this season.
