Joel Embiid kick on Cade Cunningham: NBA hands him a Flagrant 1, no ban

The NBA has given Philadelphia 76ers centre Joel Embiid a Flagrant 1 foul for kicking Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham during Wednesday’s game, after a video of the moment spread widely online. No foul was called at the time; the league added it after reviewing the play. Embiid is not suspended.

His name was one of the top Google searches in the United States overnight.

What happened?

With Cunningham guarding him at the three-point line, Embiid went up on a shot attempt and kicked his right leg out, catching Cunningham in the groin, before passing to LeBron James, Bleacher Report and ClutchPoints reported. Cunningham went down; the referees let play go on.

Later in the game Embiid also got a technical foul for a light shove on Pistons big man Tolu Smith. Philadelphia won 112-106. Embiid finished with 26 points and 15 rebounds, and Cunningham had 26 points and 11 assists.

Why no suspension?

The NBA counts flagrant fouls in points. A Flagrant 1 is worth one point, and a player is suspended for one game only when he reaches six points in a regular season. This was Embiid’s first flagrant of the season. A Flagrant 2, the harsher grade, comes with an automatic ejection and two points; the league judged this one did not reach that level.

No fine for the kick has been reported.

Why fans are angry

Much of the reaction online is about leg kicks on jump shots, which the NBA has tried to stamp out because they can injure defenders. Pistons fans argue a kick to the groin deserved more than one flagrant point; 76ers fans say it looked like a shooting motion, not a deliberate kick. Either way, the clip will follow Embiid into the next meeting between the two teams.

For Pakistani NBA fans, it is also a reminder of how the 76ers look this season: with LeBron James now on the team, every game is getting extra attention.