Isiah Thomas candidly reveals ongoing battle with Bell's palsy 

Basketball Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas hasn't been making his usual media rounds. While the two-time NBA champion can often be seen working as an analyst for NBA TV, the Detroit legend has cut back on his schedule. While some fans have theorized that at 63 years old Thomas simply wants to enjoy more of a work-life balance, he's actually been dealing with a medical problem.

During an appearance on former coach Mark Jackson's Come and Talk 2 Me podcast, Thomas announced that he has Bell's Palsy. The condition, which Joel Embiid dealt with last season, causes facial weakness and in some cases facial paralysis.

Because of that, fans have noticed that Isiah Thomas has seemingly struggled to enunciate certain words because of partial facial paralysis. In addition, fans noted during an interview with Forbes Blk that Thomas' mouth, lips and tongue seemed to be asymmetrical.

During his appearance on Mark Jackson's Come and Talk 2 Me podcast, Thomas opened up on his diagnosis:

“I’ve gotten a lot of love from people saying, ‘Well, Isiah’s sick. He’s going through something.’ I haven’t really told anybody, but I’ve got Bell’s palsy. That’s why you see me like this.”

You can see Isiah Thomas' comments in the video above beginning around the 31:30 mark.

"It could be weeks, it could be months" - Looking back at Joel Embiid's battle with Bell's palsy last season amid Isiah Thomas' ongoing battle

Last season, NBA fans may recall that former MVP Joel Embiid dealt with a case of Bell's palsy. After a 50-point outing against the Knicks in the playoffs, Embiid spoke to reporters while wearing sunglasses.

As he explained, he had been dealing with migraines, but didn't think much of the situation. Things then started to get worse, with the 76ers star dealing with partial facial paralysis impacting his mouth and his eye.

While speaking with media, he opened up on the situation:

"It’s pretty annoying. My left side of my face, my mouth and my eye. It’s been tough. But I’m not a quitter. I’m going to keep fighting through anything. It’s unfortunate, that’s the way I look at it. But it’s not an excuse. I’ve got to keep pushing.

“It hasn’t really necessarily gotten better. With the conversations that I’ve had, it could be weeks, it could be months. I just hope that it stays like this. I’ve got a beautiful face. I don’t like when my mouth is looking the other way. Unfortunate situation but everything happens for a reason.”

In Embiid's case, the situation resolved itself, and according to ClevelandClinic.org, most cases are resolved within six months. After recovery, 80% of people make a full recovery with no lasting effects.

While it's unclear how long Isiah Thomas has been dealing with Bell's palsy, the hope is that the famed point guard can get back to 100% sooner rather than later.