Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis that he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
Embiid wore sunglasses onstage after scoring 50 points in the Sixers’ Game 3 win over the New York Knicks and said he was experiencing several symptoms, including blurred vision and dry eyes.
Embiid said he first started suffering from the condition about a “day or two” before the Sixers played the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament on April 17. Embiid had 23 points and 15 rebounds in the win that sent the Sixers to the playoffs.
Embiid complained of a migraine but “thought it was nothing” before finally informing doctors that he wasn’t feeling well.
“My body was just, I just wasn’t feeling it,” Embiid said. “Yes, it is quite annoying. My left side of my face, my mouth and my eye. It was heavy. But I’m not a quitter. I keep fighting through everything. It’s a shame, that’s how I look at it too. But it’s no excuse. I have to keep pushing.”
Last season’s NBA MVP Embiid was 13 of 19 from the floor, made 19 of 21 free throws and hit five 3-pointers in Game 3.
The Knicks lead the series 2-1 and Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.
Embiid wore sunglasses throughout the series and conducted a post-game interview in Game 2 with his head down in front of his locker to hide his symptoms.
Embiid said he has no timetable for how long it will take to recover from Bell’s palsy.
“It hasn’t necessarily gotten better,” he said. “With the conversations I’ve had, it could take weeks, or months. I just hope it stays that way. I have a beautiful face. I don’t like it when my mouth looks the other way. An unfortunate situation, but everything happens for a reason.”