Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the qualifiers.
After scoring 50 points in the Sixers’ Game 3 victory over the New York Knicks, Embiid took the podium wearing sunglasses and said he was battling various symptoms including blurred vision and dry eyes.
Embiid said he first started experiencing the pain “a day or two” before the Sixers’ April 17 play-in game against the Miami Heat. Embiid scored 23 points and 15 rebounds to help the 76ers enter the playoffs.
Embiid complained of migraines, but “thought it was nothing” until he finally notified doctors that he felt sick.
“My body just, I just didn’t feel it,” Embiid said. “Yeah, it’s annoying. The left side of my face, my mouth, my eye. It’s tough. But I’m not a quitter. I’ll keep fighting against all odds. Unfortunately, that’s how I see it . But that’s no excuse.
Embiid, last season’s NBA MVP, shot 13-for-19 from the field, 19-for-21 from the free throw line and hit five 3-pointers in Game 3.
The Knicks lead the series 2-1, with Game 4 set for Sunday in Philadelphia.
Embiid wore sunglasses throughout the series, and during an interview after Game 2, he kept his head down in front of the locker room to hide his symptoms.
Embiid said he doesn’t have a timetable yet on how long it will take to recover from Bell’s palsy.
“Things are not necessarily getting better,” he said. “Based on what I’m talking to, it could take weeks, it could be months. I just want it to stay like this. I have a beautiful face. I don’t like my mouth looking away. It’s an unfortunate situation, but it happens It’s all for a reason.
