What’s better than the showdown between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks? On April 28, spectators were inevitably perched on the edge of their seats as the 76ers and Knicks locked horns. Meanwhile, Dawn Staley also sat among the audience to cheer up for her home team, the Philadelphia 76ers.
Brought up and raised in Philly, Staley has never stayed away from extending support for her hometown teams. And this time too, she performed her duties by being among the audience. But something unexpected happened. Unfortunately, Staley’s home team was defeated by 97-92.
Though Staley was left disheartened by the important defeat, she still made headlines across the globe. While most of the spectators felt sorry for her, some of them poured the spotlight on her shoes. Interestingly, the $12 million worth coach featured the Jordan Jumpman Jacks. To share the glimpse of the highly anticipated pair of shoes, Dawn Staley uploaded a couple of pictures on her Instagram story.
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But why are these shoes so important? The Jordan Jumpman Jack model is a collaboration of rap icon Travis Scott and the Jordan brand. The sneaker is yet to release at the end of April in “Sail and Dark Mocha” colors, adding to the hype. And this garnered the attention of millions on Staley’s Jumpman Jacks. However, this was not the only attraction at the Wells Fargo Centre.
Man of the match: “Joel Embiid”
Alongside Staley, the Philadelphia 76ers also featured Joel Embiid. The All-Star center was diagnosed with a unique form of facial paralysis, also known as Bell’s Palsy. Despite battling a series of symptoms due to his disease, including blurred vision and dry eyes, Embiid secured 50 points against the New York Knicks.
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However, this is not something happening all of a sudden. He first had symptoms a day or two before the showdown of 76ers vs. Miami on April 17. “My body was just, I was just not feeling it…Yes, it’s pretty annoying. My left side of my face, my mouth and my eye. It’s been tough,” said Joel in an exclusive interview with TheGuardian.com.
He added, “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.” And this led him to achieve the remarkable feat against the Knicks. But now the question is, will Joel be able to keep up with the expectations while battling against Bell’s palsy?