NBA Fans Are Worried About Isiah Thomas's Eye After Spotting Him on ESPN

To most Pistons fans, Isiah Thomas is one of those NBA legends who is up there with the likes of Michael Jordan. No, he didn't reach global stardom quite like Mike, but Isiah was a Hall of Fame point guard who led his team to multiple championships. So when fans noticed the now-retired NBA star seemed to be injured, or worse, they were concerned about what happened to Isiah Thomas's eye.

This isn't the first time there was concern over what appeared to be a swollen eye on one side of Isiah's face. However, because he spoke on this before, some of his longtime fans were already aware of what happened. Still, the question remains among those who spotted him on ESPN looking a little differently than they had remembered.

In 2024, Isiah appeared on The Mark Jackson Show on YouTube and shared details of his Bell's palsy diagnosis. Although it's not typically a serious condition, and it is not a stroke, it is sometimes mistaken for one by those who are unfamiliar with the diagnosis. The physical effects are also surprising if you have never heard of it before.

"I've gotten a lot of love from people saying, 'Well Isiah's sick. What's he going through?'" Isiaih said on the podcast. "And I haven't really told anybody, right? So, I got Bell's palsy, and, again, that's why you see me like this. So, I appreciate the prayers and the love, but that's what's happening with my mouth right now."

Around the same time, Isiah appeared on NBC during an NBA TV panel about sports. Once again, he addressed the concern about his appearance and his health.

"I'm dealing with it, I'm showing up, I ain't taking off," he said at the time.

According to Mayo Clinic, Bell's palsy is the sudden weakening of muscles on one half of the face. It can take up to six months for the condition to fully improve, but some people can have symptoms for the rest of their lives, though cases of that are rare. Still, if that is still why Iaiah's eye looks different than what fans are used to, he may have a chronic case of Bell's palsy.

Per Johns Hopkins, most patients regain feeling and movement in their face and find that Bell's palsy is not permanent. Isiah has not confirmed if his prior diagnosis is permanent or has somehow returned. However, the university reported that there are medical treatments that can be done if Bell's palsy symptoms persist.

Although Isiah had a good run with the Pistons, he retired at just 33 years old. In 1994, the Los Angeles Times reported that Isiah tore his Achilles tendon that year and announced that he wouldn't be returning to the game. However, since then, the former NBA player has remained in the spotlight as a sports analyst, and he hasn't quite left the public eye.