What the heck is going on with Sixers’ Joel Embiid’s eye?

UPDATE, April 24, 2024, 7:15 a.m. ET:

Taking a look at extra angles from Sport 1 broadcasts as they change into out there, an occasion has been discovered of Philadelphia 76ers’ middle Joel Embiid being seemingly unable to blink his left eye BEFORE being hit by Kelly Oubre Jr. at 7:07.

That being stated, previous to that time, it didn’t appear to be bothering Embiid as a lot — he started rubbing it extra persistently and noticeably after the hit, in addition to starting to put on the sun shades indoors after Sport 1, not earlier than.

May we be taking a look at two separate points, or one present problem that was exacerbated by the contact from Oubre?

April 23, 2024:

In case you watched Sport 2 and even simply components of Sport 1 of the Japanese Convention first spherical sequence between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks, you could have a lingering query about Sixers’ star middle Joel Embiid.

What’s going on along with his eyes?

Even in the course of the shock of Embiid hitting the bottom grabbing his knee throughout his harm scare in Sport 1, this was all many may discover. Together with his again on the ground and digicam caught on his face, the NBA’s reigning MVP gave the impression to be solely blinking along with his proper eye.

So, what’s going on? We would have simply found out a bit of the puzzle right here at Liberty Ballers.

The video beneath is from the primary interval of Sport 1. Prior to those moments, I used to be unable to search out any occasion of Embiid having any points along with his eye.

With 7:11 left within the first, New York’s Donte DiVincenzo takes a shot from past the arc. Embiid is boxing out Josh Hart below the rim ready for the rebound. Kelly Oubre Jr. flies straight in direction of the bucket and, whereas leaping along with his proper arm prolonged out making an attempt to seize the ball, seems to make contact with Embiid’s face along with his left hand on the 7:07 mark. Embiid instantly grabs at his face.

Embiid is out of digicam shot for just a little after that because the Sixers’ referred to as a timeout and the published went to industrial. Throughout a following Knicks’ drive round 6:33, Embiid is seen making an attempt to battle Isaiah Hartenstein for a rebound. After Hartenstein grabs it and goes up for a dunk, Embiid is seen grabbing his face and overlaying his left eye once more as he slowly heads up the ground. It doesn’t seem that any additional contact was made to his face on this play, however its clear one thing is flawed at this level.

Lastly, on the finish of the primary interval, he went straight again into the tunnel holding his face. He returned to the ground within the second, however the eye questionability, let’s say, has been seen ever since.

The extra time Embiid is on digicam, the extra persons are noticing. Many have taken to X (previously Twitter) to put up moments of Embiid showing to be unable to blink or correctly transfer the left eye in sync along with his proper eye all through Sport 1 and Sport 2.

His conduct between video games hasn’t carried out a lot to assuage suspicions and questions over whether or not his eye is injured. The large man was sporting sun shades inside Madison Sq. Backyard at shootaround previous to Sport 2 on Monday.

After the Sixers’ Sport 2 loss, he gave the impression to be hiding his eyes by holding his head down for everything of his postgame media availability.

And simply to be clear, he was not sporting the sun shades when arriving at MSG previous to Sport 1.

Does this affirm that Sport 1 is when he might have damage his eye? No, nevertheless it definitely factors to it because the inception of the issue.

At this level, the Sixers haven’t talked about the problem or listed it on any harm report. As at all times, we are going to carry you extra concrete info when — and if — it turns into out there.

Embiid and the Sixers are off Tuesday and Wednesday earlier than returning to South Philadelphia to host Sport 3 on Thursday night.