Sixers Star Joel Embiid Offers Details on Latest Health Concern

Joel Embiid opens up on his latest health concern following the Philadelphia 76ers win over the New York Knicks.

Apr 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) shoots a | Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout the final stretch of the regular season and the current playoff run, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has been dealing with multiple health concerns.

Prior to Thursday’s Game 3 victory over the New York Knicks, details about Embiid’s knee-related setback were already public.

After the game, it was revealed that the star center was dealing with another setback. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the big man has been dealing with a case of Bell’s Palsy.

“I don’t know exactly what happened,” Embiid admitted after Thursday’s win. “I guess that’s a normal thing.”

Lately, Embiid has been spotted wearing sunglasses when he’s not on the court competing for the Sixers. According to the seven-time All-Star, the symptoms started before the Sixers battled it out against the Miami Heat in the NBA’s Play-In Tournament.

Although Embiid’s been dealing with meniscus recovery and Bell’s Palsy since the tourney, he hasn’t missed a game for the 76ers since they fired up their postseason series against the New York Knicks last Saturday.

But just because he’s playing, doesn’t mean he’s one-hundred percent.

“It’s pretty annoying with my left side of my face, my mouth, and my eye,” Embiid explained. “It’s been tough but I’m not a quitter, so I have to keep fighting through anything. It’s unfortunate. That’s the way I look at it, but that’s not an excuse. I have to keep pushing.”

Embiid’s dealing with a setback, but his play hasn’t reflected that. In Game 1, the big man produced 29 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in the seven-point loss against the Knicks. In a dramatic Game 2, he scored 34 points, ten rebounds, and six assists.

With the Sixers down two games going into Thursday’s outing, Embiid took his play up a notch. In 40 minutes of action, he scored 50 points while coming down with eight rebounds and dishing out four assists. His dominance led to a 125-114 victory over the Knicks.

Embiid might not feel like the best version of himself throughout the first-round series against New York, but he doesn’t seem willing to slow down despite the multiple setbacks affecting him.