State Champ Radio Fitness & Wellness
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty
NBA All-Star center Joel Embiid revealed that he’s been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, which is the reason for his recent eye trouble.
On Thursday night (April 25), Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid finally cleared up the speculation concerning his eyesight at a post-game press conference, informing the media that he’s suffering from Bell’s palsy. Bell’s palsy is a form of facial paralysis that causes sudden muscular weakness on one side of the face, making the eye on that side hard to close. Embiid said that he’d started dealing with the effects before the Sixers’ play-in tournament game with the Miami Heat at the outset of this year’s playoffs.
“I think it started a day or two before the Miami game [in the play-in tournament], and I had bad migraines and thought it was nothing,” Embiid said after the Sixers’ win over the New York Knicks. “It’s pretty annoying, you know, with the left side of my face, my mouth and my eye. So yeah, it’s been tough. But I’m not a quitter, so gotta keep fighting. But yeah, it’s unfortunate. That’s the way I look at it. But it’s not an excuse. Gotta keep pushing.” He also said that he was informed that the condition could last weeks or months.
He also spoke about how the condition is yet another addition to the list of ailments that he’s endured throughout his playing career, including a knee injury he’s still recovering from after surgery in February. “It is unfortunate,” he began. “Every single year, you start asking yourself questions like, ‘Why?’ Every single year it’s … very annoying. Yeah. Maybe it’s just meant to be. Just gotta take it as it is. But the one thing I’m not going to do is give up no matter what happens.”
The news comes after Embiid put up a historical 50 points on fewer than 20 shot attempts, making 19 of 21 free throws and five three-pointers, all playoff records for the 30-year-old. The effort gained Philadelphia their first victory in the first-round series against the surging second-seeded Knicks, who they’ll play against at home on Sunday (April 29) as the Knicks hold a two games to one lead.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Christopher Cavanaugh / Brandon Coton / iOne Digital
In exclusive news, iOne Digital is relaunching Elev8, a new platform with a spotlight on a new wave of Christian Hip-Hop and R&B artists.
As the world is undergoing some turbulent times, there are many online who are looking for a sort of safe space to find motivation and attain reflection on topics related to mind, body and culture. In that spirit, the return of an online hub dedicated to that mission was announced Thursday (April 4). Elev8, pronounced “e-le-vate,” seeks to be a bedrock for those Black men and women seeking out nontraditional sources to further their interconnected well-being.
Elev8 is starting this mission out strongly with a new cover story covering seven talented rising artists in the world of Christian Hip-Hop and R&B. The artists – Childlike CiCi, Franchesca, Lee Vasi, Wande, Jor’Dan Armstrong, Mike Teezy and Stevie Rizo – got to sit down and talk extensively with Elev8 Digital Director Aliya Faust about their commitment to their faith influencing their music in various ways allowing them to push envelopes and appeal to the public.
“I’ve always been a wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve kind of girl and that’s been kind of amplified in this Christian genre because it’s really soul work that this music is stemming from,” said Lee Vasi in the profile. For Armstrong, who’s attained the No.1 slot on Billboard charts recently, the new shift is remarkable. “I remember 10 to 15 years ago, we didn’t have these types of opportunities,” he states. “We didn’t have these types of platforms. We were frowned upon because we were different or because we had a different approach to what gospel sounded like. I’m grateful to be a part of what God is doing in the industry and the genre that we’re in.”
As Faust explains: “I think it’s important to have a brand like Elev8 because we acknowledge that what you feed your mind and body matter. Health is multifaceted. I always refer to four of the eight dimensions of wellness. Spiritual health, emotional health, physical health, social health, etc. – it’s all interconnected. When we nurture them in harmony, life is elevated.” In addition to more in-depth articles on each of the aforementioned artists, Elev8 will feature more soul-stirring conversations on all of those topics in conjunction with featured videos, exclusive digital profiles, and daily articles along with a newsletter.
Check out the first profile at Elev8 here.
-
Pages
