NBA star Joel Embiid is making waves this basketball season, despite being recently diagnosed with a neurological disorder.
During a press conference Thursday, the Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center revealed he was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy.
The announcement came after he displayed an impressive performance during Game 3 against the New York Knicks. Embiid set a playoff career high scoring 50 points carrying the 76ers to a 125–114 victory.
When questioned on how his diagnosis came to be, Embiid said severe headaches were what led him to being checked out.
“I think it started a day or two before the Miami game [in the play-in tournament], and I had bad migraines and thought it was nothing … My body was just, I was just not feeling it,” he said.
The 30-year-old further elaborated that his condition specifically impacted the left side of his face, mouth, and eye. He noticed his vision becoming impaired or blurry and constantly felt the need to use eye drops to prevent them from going dry.
Despite the diagnosis, Embiid kept a positive attitude and is not letting it bring him down physically or mentally.
“I’m not a quitter, so gotta keep fighting. But yeah, it’s unfortunate. That’s the way I look at it. But it’s not an excuse. Gotta keep pushing … everything happens for a reason. Like I said, I gotta take care of myself mentally,” he said.
Overall, his condition has not “necessarily gotten better” but Embiid hopes that he will see significant progress in the coming weeks or months.
“I just hope that it could stay like this,” Embiid joked, “I got a beautiful face. I don’t like when my mouth is looking the other way.”
This isn’t the only obstacle Embiid had to face this year, as the basketball player is continuing to recover from a knee injury. The ailment caused him to undergo surgery and sit out of games for two months.
Embiid did admit he would catch himself in a “why me” mentality, but is doing his best in trying to overcome it with zero excuses.
“I’m just trying to keep pushing. Like I said, I’m not going to quit. Even if it’s on one leg, I’m still going to go out there and try … the one thing I’m not going to do is give up no matter what happens. Gotta keep pushing, gotta keep fighting, gotta keep putting my body on the line, for my family, for this city, for this team.”
Bell’s Palsy
A condition that can have no warning signs and come out of nowhere, Bell’s Palsy is a neurological disorder that can cause muscle weakness or paralysis on one side of a person’s face.Cases can be mild or severe, with symptoms including drooping of the eye, or mouth, paralysis of an entire half of the face, drooling, and difficulty closing an eyelid.
Symptoms may appear suddenly or over a one to two-day period, but generally people with Bell’s Palsy see improvement after a few weeks. In rare cases, facial weakness can be permanent but usually full facial recovery is seen after a six month period.
The exact cause of the condition remains unknown, and can affect anyone of any gender or age, but more often is seen in people between the ages of 15 to 45.
Risk factors include obesity, diabetes, pregnancy, or even high blood pressure. Ultimately, there are no definitive preventative measures that one can take but with proper diagnosis and treatment Bell’s Palsy can be temporary.
