After days of speculation surrounding Joel Embiid's health, some clarity has emerged following the above information. Philadelphia 76ers Game 3 win over the New York Knicks on Thursday.
Minutes after the game, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the reigning MVP had been treated for mild Bell's palsy this past week. This condition is a period of unexplained facial muscle weakness or paralysis that usually resolves on its own and causes no complications.
During Game 2 of the Knicks and 76ers' first-round series, video of Embiid at the free throw line caught the attention of basketball fans as he could be seen blinking but his left eye did not move.
After the game, Embiid spoke to reporters but did not raise his head and continued to cover his face with his hands while answering questions.
According to Wojnarowski, this condition started happening to Embiid during the 76ers' Play-In win over the Miami Heat but he wanted to keep it private to avoid distractions.
“Pretty annoying,” Embiid speak Play to overcome illness. “Unfortunately… Must keep trying.”
The condition did not appear to limit Embiid as he dropped a career-high 50 points in the playoffs as Philadelphia beat New York and cut the series deficit to 2-1.
More to come.
