Philadelphia 76ers centre Joel Embiid announced that he’s been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis, which he’s been dealing with since the start of the play-in tournament.
Embiid, 30, has been battling symptoms such as dry eyes, blurred vision, and migraines amongst others since early April he told reporters following his team’s Game 3 victory over New York.
“My body was just, I was just not feeling it,” Embiid said. “Yes, it’s pretty annoying. My left side of my face, my mouth and my eye. It’s been tough. But I’m not a quitter. I’m going to keep fighting through anything. It’s unfortunate, that’s the way I look at it. But it’s not an excuse. I’ve got to keep pushing.”
The Sixers big man currently leads the NBA playoffs with 37.7 points per game, while also averaging 8.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per contest. The reigning NBA MVP is fresh off a 50 point performance vs. the Knicks, but was seen sporting sunglasses at his media availability due to light sensitivity.
“It hasn’t really necessarily gotten better,” he said. “With the conversations that I’ve had, it could be weeks, it could be months. I just hope that it stays like this. I’ve got a beautiful face. I don’t like when my mouth is looking the other way. Unfortunate situation but everything happens for a reason.”
Bell’s palsy is believed to be caused by a viral infection. While it isn’t considered a permanent affliction, in rare cases it can last long periods of time. While there is currently no known cure for Bell’s palsy, recovery usually begins sometime between 2 weeks to 6 months from the onset of the symptoms. Most people with Bell’s palsy eventually recover full facial strength and expression.
The Philadelphia 76ers are next in action on Sunday at 1pm ET as they look to even their series against New York at two games a piece.
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.