Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell's palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has been affecting him on court.
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Embiid, the NBA's most valuable player last season, wore sunglasses to the podium after he scored 50 points in the Sixers' game-three win over the New York Knicks and said he's dealt with various symptoms such as blurred vision and dry eyes.
Embiid said he first started noticing the affliction about a "day or two" before the Sixers played the Miami Heat on April 17 in the play-in tournament. He had 23 points and 15 rebounds in the win that sent the Sixers to the playoffs.
Embiid complained of migraines but "thought it was nothing" before he finally notified doctors he wasn't feeling well.
"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."
Embiid was 13 of 19 from the floor, made 19 of 21 free throws and hit five three-pointers in game three, with the Knicks leading the series 2-1.
Embiid said he has no timetable on how long it may take to recover.
"It hasn't really necessarily gotten better," he said. "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."
Australian Associated Press
