The images caused discussion and articles were published in the press on Thursday according to which Joel Embiid, 30 years old and 2023 MVP, had undergone treatment to treat Bell’s disease. “The treatment must have started one or two days before a match in Miami,” explained the Cameroon-born player, adding that he was suffering from migraines at the time and that muscle weakness was causing paralysis of his spine. left eye and mouth.
“Yeah, it’s pretty boring,” Embiid, who wore dark glasses, told reporters after the game against the New York Knicks. This paralysis, which generally disappears within a few weeks or months, affects “the left side of my face, my mouth and my eye,” he continued. “It’s difficult, but I don’t want to give up.”
This illness from which he suffers and of which he does not know the origin could, according to some analysts, be a reaction caused by a viral infection.
In remission, Joel Embiid led the 76ers to victory against the Knicks (125-114) on Thursday night, scoring 50 points, the best total of his career in a playoff game. This success allows the 76ers to return to 2-1 in this best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
Lately, Embiid has also been in the news for other non-sporting reasons. While he was officially selected to play for the United States in the Olympics, a letter from the 76ers player to Emmanuel Macron written in 2021 was recently leaked. A letter in which Embiid proclaims his love for France before choosing Team USA two years later.
News which caused a reaction in France and which visibly annoyed Embiid, who refused to answer a question asked in French by a journalist after the second playoff game lost against the Knicks.