Joel Embiid, the center for the Philadelphia 76ers and an All-Star, has been diagnosed with Bell's palsy, a type of facial paralysis that he claims has been bothering him since before the play-in round.
After scoring 50 points in the Sixers' Game 3 victory against the New York Knicks, Embiid donned sunglasses to the platform and said that he had struggled with a number of symptoms, including dry eyes and blurred vision.
Embiid claimed that the illness struck him for the first time "day or two" prior to the Sixers' play-in tournament matchup with the Miami Heat on April 17.
Embiid led the Sixers to victory to the playoffs with a game-high 23 points and 15 rebounds.
Yes, it can be quite bothersome. my mouth, my eye, and the left side of my face. It's been difficult. I'm not a quitter, though.
I'm not a quitter, though. I'm going to continue to battle no matter what. From my perspective, it's unfortunate. It's not an excuse, though. I have to keep going."
In Game 3, Embiid, the NBA MVP from the previous season, shot 13 of 19 from the field, made 19 of 21 free throws, and drained five three-pointers.
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