PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell's palsy, a type of facial paralysis, and he said he was affected even before the play-in tournament.
After scoring 50 points in the Sixers' Game 3 win over the New York Knicks, Embiid took to the podium wearing sunglasses and said he was experiencing various symptoms, including blurred vision and dry eyes.
Embiid said he first started suffering from the illness “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 victory that sent the Sixers into the playoffs.
Embiid had been complaining of migraines, but “I thought it was nothing” until he finally told his doctor he wasn't feeling well.
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“My body just wasn't feeling it,” Embiid said. “Yes, it's quite annoying. The left side of my face, my mouth, my eyes. It's been tough. But I'm not a quitter. I'm going to keep fighting no matter what. It's unfortunate, I am. But that's no excuse. I have to keep pushing.”
Embiid, last season's NBA MVP, went 13-of-19 from the floor, 19-of-21 free throws and 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 conducted his Game 2 postgame interview face down in front of his locker to hide his symptoms.
Embiid said there is no timetable for how long it will take Bell to recover from his paralysis.
“It's actually not necessarily getting better,” he says. “Given what we've been talking about, it could be weeks, it could be months. I just hope it stays this way. I have a beautiful face. I have a mouth. I don't like looking the other way. It's an unfortunate situation, but everything happens for a reason.”
