Real Reason Joel Embiid Covered His Face After Game 2 Loss

Looks like Charles Barkley owes Joel Embiid an apology.

Barkley, as well as many others in the NBA community, ripped Joel Embiid when he kept his head down talking to reporters after the 76ers’ Game 2 loss to the Knicks.

However it has now been revealed that Embiid was suffering from a health issue and was trying to keep it under wraps, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported after the Sixers’ 125-114 Game 3 victory over the Knicks.

“ESPN Sources: Sixers star Joel Embiid has been treated for a mild case of Bell’s Palsey 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,” Wojnarowski said on X.

“There had been some speculation about why he had been wearing sunglasses and whether there was an issue with his eyes, but that was related to the Bell’s Palsey — which impacts facial muscles in one-half of face. Embiid had 50 points in Game 3 victory over Knicks tonight.”

Bell’s Palsey may be a reaction to a viral infection and rarely occurs more than once.

Often the weakness in the face is short-term and improves in a matter of weeks. The weakness makes half of the face droop and smiles are one-sided. The eye on the affected side is also hard to close.

But, it certainly didn’t impact Embiid on the court too much in Game 3, since the big man managed to score a career-high 50 points, to go with eight rebounds and four assists to keep Philly’s season alive.

Let’s hope Embiid’s condition continues to improve.

The Sixers will next face the Knicks in Game 4 on Sunday at Wells Fargo Center.