Joel Embiid is quite literally putting his body on the line for the 76ers franchise and the city of Philadelphia. Already taking the risk of playing on a barely-healed knee during these playoffs, it seems as if all things that could go wrong, are going wrong for the reigning MVP of the league. As per Adrian Wojnarowski, the seven-footer was recently diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy, yet, he has still been giving it his all on the court.
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“ESPN Sources: Sixers star Joel Embiid has been treated for a mild case of Bell’s palsy for the past week. The condition began during the play-in victory over Miami but he has wanted to keep it private to avoid distractions for his team.”
Bell’s Palsy is a condition in which there is facial weakness/paralysis due to injury to the 7th facial nerve (aka the cranial nerve). Patients may have issues with winking, smile asymmetry, and mouth dropping. It’s usually caused by a virus but can also occur due to trauma.)
As per the tweet, Joel Embiid decided to keep the condition he has been diagnosed with, to himself, for the team to be focused during the postseason. When asked how he has been dealing with it, after the condition was revealed, Embiid said, “I guess that’s a normal thing.”
“I think it started a day or two before the Miami game and I had migraines and thought it was nothing but…It is pretty annoying. The left side of my face, my mouth, and my eye. “It’s been tough but I’m not a quitter. You gotta keep fighting through anything but yeah. It’s unfortunate, that’s the way I look at it but that’s not an excuse. Gotta keep pushing.”
If there was ever any doubt surrounding Joel Embiid’s love for the game and his dedication to the Philadelphia 76ers franchise then his statement and commitment to the team here should kill all of it. After all, the star is ignoring not one, but two potentially severe medical conditions just so that he can take his team as far as it can go.
With the player dealing with multiple ailments, dropping 50 points in a crucial Game 3 did not let Joel Embiid ignore the question of his time left in the NBA. Hoping for the best, the following is what he said on the matter.
“I just want to be on the floor as much as possible… I only got about maybe 8 years left.”
The 76ers star is already 30 years old. So, if his statement was completely serious, it means that he plans to keep playing until he is 38 years old. Judging by the knee injuries Embiid has had throughout his career, playing till 38 may be a tad too optimistic. However, it all comes down to how the six-time All-Star conditions his body as ‘Father Time’s effect on his body starts to become stronger.
