As the Sixers fans rejoiced after a thumping 125-114 victory, daunting images of Joel Embiid’s concerning in-game look sent shivers down their spine. With their backs against the wall, Embiid and Co. finally got their first win of the series against the New York Knicks, narrowing the deficit to 1-2. However, in a distressing revelation, it was later confirmed that the Sixers superstar was suffering from a condition that has even haunted Hollywood celebrity Angelina Jolie for years.

In the viral images, one side of Embiid’s face could be seen drooping, showing signs of mild facial paralysis. With his lips falling toward the side and one eye visibly different from the other, it was evident that the reigning MVP had lost partial control of his facial muscles. And NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski soon confirmed everyone’s doubts with a tweet, “ESPN Sources: Sixers star Joel Embiid has been treated for a mild case of Bell’s Palsy for the past week.” And tonight isn’t the first time Embiid has played through this condition.

Woj further revealed the reigning MVP felt the effects of Bell’s Palsy during last week’s play-in encounter against Miami. But Embiid kept the details private, trying to avoid any distractions for the team in their crucial playoff run. Now, while Embiid’s condition began last week, he isn’t the first NBA-related person to suffer from the same. Ex-Pacer Naz Mitrou-Long and his teammate JaKarr Sampson’s elder brother also suffered from Bell’s Palsy. Notably, Angelina Jolie has been dealing with it since 2017, following her split with Brad Pitt.

She once cited stress as the major reason for the condition in a Vanity Fair cover story. “Sometimes women who have families put themselves last until it manifests itself in their own health,” Jolie added. Notably, the actress then confirmed that acupuncture significantly helped her recover fully from the condition.

What did Joel Embiid say about his condition?

While Philly fans continue to pray that Joel overcomes the issue soon, the Sixers superstar deemed dealing with Bell’s Palsy “pretty annoying.” However, he does not plan on taking his foot off the pedal because of the condition, “It’s been tough but I’m not a quitter… It’s unfortunate… got to keep pushing”.

Now that Embiid’s condition has started to show on the court and come to everybody’s attention, he will likely try to get some treatment to at least temporarily get it fixed amidst the playoffs. And he can take Jolie’s word about acupuncture helping a great deal in curing Bell’s palsy.

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Fortunately, the unfortunate condition has not affected Embiid’s performance on the court so far. Would anyone even have known if it was not evident on his face tonight? Despite dealing with it for over a week, Embiid has balled out in the first three games of the series, averaging over 37 points. And to add a cherry on top, he scored a 50-piece tonight, while leading the Sixers to a victory. Now as the Sixers prepare to level the series on Sunday, hopefully, Embiid will continue to perform the way he has been while managing the unexpected health scare.