Isiah Thomas has made a shocking revelation about his health.
The Hall of Famer and former Knicks coach and GM spoke about legendary Indiana coach Bob Knight during an appearance on Mark Jackson's “Come and Talk 2 Me” show on Friday. He said he was diagnosed with Bell's palsy.
“I've gotten a lot of love from people saying, 'Well, Isaiah is sick.' What is he going through?” Thomas said. “I haven't told anyone, but I have Bell's palsy. … That's why you see me that way. Thank you for your prayers and love. It's what's happening in your mouth. I just wanted people to know that.”
Ms. Jackson responded, “You look great to us.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, Bell's palsy is a condition in which the muscles in one side of the face suddenly become weak.
As a result, half of your face looks droopy, your smile becomes lopsided, and your eyes become difficult to close.
The cause is unknown.
The symptoms may improve over time, but a small number of people remain with symptoms for life.
Thomas, 63, later explained the details. Upon returning to NBA TV's pregame showThere he works as an analyst.
“As you know, I have a mild form of Bell’s palsy,” he said. “I'm dealing with it. I'm showing up. I'm not leaving, but I wanted you all to know that I appreciate your prayers and appreciate everything. They said it was a temporary condition and would get better over time. But thank you for sticking with me.”
Two-time NBA champion Pistons player Joel Embiid of the 76ers, former NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez, former NBA star Evan Turner, and famous pro wrestling announcer Jim Ross have been diagnosed with Bell's palsy. He's not the first athlete to do so. He opened up about everything about how to deal with his symptoms.
Thomas, an All-American at Indiana University, spent all 13 NBA seasons with the Pistons and was named an All-Star 12 times.
He coached the Knicks, Pacers and Florida Atlantic.
He was also the team president of the Knicks, Raptors and Liberty.
His time on the Knicks' bench was a failure, going just 56-108 in two seasons.
