FRIDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

AGBU 48, Mary Star of the Sea 44

Agoura 79, St. Francis 77

Alemany 54, Palisades 52

Aliso Niguel 79, Simi Valley 61

Alta Loma 50, Shadow Hills 42

Anaheim Canyon 80, Inglewood 70

Arlington 59, Long Beach Cabrillo 57

Atascadero 60, Montclair 46

Averroes 44, Bassett 36

Bakersfield Christian 84, Santa Monica 56

Banning 62, Arroyo Valley 40

Bishop Amat 59, Arroyo Grande 46

Bishop Montgomery 49, Orange Lutheran 45

Bosco Tech 69, Norco 62

Brea Olinda 43, Northview 33

Brentwood 63, San Joaquin Memorial 48

Buckley 70, Hilltop 32

Burbank 58, Mark Keppel 55

Calabasas 66, Hart 62

Calexico 60, San Jacinto 45

Calvary Baptist 35, Bellflower 31

Camarillo 49, Patrick Henry 38

Campbell Hall 71, Village Christian 63

Canyon Country Canyon 108, Hawthorne 45

Cerritos Valley Christian 50, San Bernardino 47

Chadwick 64, Riverside Notre Dame 49

Chaffey 55, Charter Oak 42

Chaminade 67, Laguna Creek 53

Chino Hills 61, Bonita 54

Chowchilla 79, Magnolia 18

Citrus Hill 70, Colton 50

Claremont 55, Arroyo 32

Cleveland 55, Salesian 36

Coastal Christian 69, Santa Maria 62

Colony 65, Sotomayor 55

Corona 74, Rim of the World 24

Corona Centennial 82, Sunnyslope (AZ) 59

Corona Santiago 61, Diamond Bar 48

Crescenta Valley 58, Upland 43

Crespi 64, Dublin 59

Culver City 61, St. Paul 58

Cypress 66, Bishop Manogue (Nev.) 47

Damonte Ranch (Nev.) 77, Malibu 24

Desert Christian Academy 90, Orange Glen 20

Don Lugo 58, Ridgecrest Burroughs 56

Dos Pueblos 53, Holy Martyrs 52

Dougherty Valley 73, Santa Barbara 70

Downey 55, Beaumont 50

Eastside Catholic (Wash.) 68, Riverside Poly 62

Eastvale Roosevelt 90, Clovis North 58

Edgewood 64, Desert Hot Springs 53

Edison 53, Tesoro 47

El Dorado 69, Mt. Carmel 42

El Toro 81, Orange 26

Esperanza 58, San Dimas 54

Etiwanda 55, Liberty (Ariz.) 47

Fontana 55, West Covina 45

Fountain Valley 97, Compton Centennial 30

Fullerton 64, Santa Ana 48

Garden Grove 74, Lakeside 56

Garden Grove Pacifica 81, Westminster 43

Gardena Serra 69, Sylmar 64

Glendora 61, Central 55

Granada Hills Kennedy 49, Hollywood 39

Great Oak 61, Elk Grove Franklin 60

Harbor Teacher 54, Rise Kohyang 26

Harvard-Westlake 79, American Fork (Utah) 50

Hesperia 72, Tahoma (Wash.) 44

Hillcrest 57, Kaiser 45

Hillcrest Christian 74, Portola 53

Hoover 61, Duarte 54

Huntington Beach 58, Rialto 51

Ironwood (Ariz.) 60, Rolling Hills Prep 49

Irvine 61, Boulder City (Nev.) 48

Jesuit 47, Crossroads 43

JSerra 61, Montgomery 57

Jurupa Valley 52, San Gorgonio 49

Katella 46, El Rancho 45

King’s Academy 61, Eastside 43

La Canada 64, Hacienda Heights Wilson 38

LACES 65, La Salle 46

Laguna Beach 75, Yucca Valley 20

Lakewood 54, Riverside North 50

La Mirada 82, Redondo Union 72

La Palma Kennedy 54, Godinez 34

La Serna 57, Walnut 52

Lawndale 55, Narbonne 53

Legacy Christian 71, Beckman 62

Littlerock 55, Grant 46

Loma Linda Academy 55, Glendale Adventist 41

Long Beach Poly 66, Oaks Christian 47

Los Alamitos 74, San Ramon Valley 71

Los Amigos 66, Chino 61

Los Altos 57, Garden Grove Santiago 55

Loyola 78, Victory Christian Academy 71

Madera 64, Montclair 46

Manual Arts 68, Cathedral 66

Marquez 62, Ponderosa 51

Mayfair 62, Aquinas 61

Mesa Grande Academy 64, Escondido Adventist Academy 46

Metaire Park Country Day (La.) 80, West Ranch 72

Millikan 54, Leuzinger 52

Mira Costa 79, Pilibos 53

Mission College Prep 74, Rio Mesa 55

Monrovia 75, Jurupa Hills 61

Moreno Valley 67, Twentynine Palms 37

Newport Harbor 75, Mission Viejo 53

Nipomo 57, Valley Christian Academy 52

Norte Vista 79, Flintridge Prep 72

North Torrance 67, Crenshaw 38

Oak Hills 71, Westlake 68

Oak Park 78, Bishop Diego 46

Oakwood 69, Granite Bay 68

Orange County Pacifica Christian 55, La Habra 50

Orange Vista 57, Foothill (Nev.) 53

Orcutt Academy 66, Valley Christian Academy 52

Oxford Academy 43, Norwalk 36

Oxnard 87, Fresno Roosevelt 58

Palm Desert 71, Carter 54

Palm Springs 56, Skyline (Wash.) 50

Palos Verdes 49, Granada Hills 44

Pasadena 63,Valencia 50

Peachtree Ridge (Ga.) 69, Temecula Prep 30

Perris 69, California School for the Deaf Riverside 43

Pioneer 71, Ambassador 53

Placentia Valencia 62, Bolsa Grande 20

Price 50, South Torrance 38

Providence 46, Maranatha 41

Ramona 69, Woodcrest Christian 34

Rancho Cucamonga 60, Crean Lutheran 49

Rancho Mirage 56, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 41

Rancho Verde 61, St. Anthony 60

Redlands 66, Pacific 46

Redlands East Valley 63, Riverside Prep 52

Righetti 64, Moorpark 56

Rio Hondo Prep 69, Downey Calvary Chapel 13

Riverside King 59, Whittier 55

Rosemead 43, Baldwin Park 40

Royal 60, Semiahmoo (Canada) 55

Rubidoux 82, Garey 21

Saddleback 60, Paramount 55

Sage Hill 54, Mountain View 50

Saguaro (Ariz.) 84, Murrieta Mesa 62

Samueli Academy 52, Cedar Park Christian (Wash.) 48

San Clemente 108, Costa Mesa 48

San Gabriel Academy 62, Arcadia 47

San Juan Hills 58, Rancho Christian 49

San Luis Obispo 68, Newbury Park 52

San Marcos 74, Paraclete 24

San Marino 56, El Segundo 49

San Pedro 93, Fremont 36

Santa Ana Foothill 47, San Ramon California 34

Santa Ana Mater Dei 84, Highland 22

Santa Fe 78, Southlands Christian 36

Santa Margarita 65, Damien 54

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 56, Sunny Hills 45

Santa Paula 77, Sierra Pacific 62

Santa Rosa Academy 72, Newbury Park Adventist 59

Segerstrom 72, Nogales 29

Servite 58, Taft 43

Shalhevet 59, Saugus 40

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 70, Sierra Vista 43

Sierra Vista 55, Apple Valley 54

Silverado 55, Canyon Springs 50

South East 53, Carson 43

South Pasadena 79, King/Drew 55

South Torrance 51, Peninsula 36

Spanish Springs (Nev.) 63, Fairfax 56

Springdale (Ark.) 69, Westminster 58

St. Bernard 93, Westwood (Ariz.) 26

St. Bonaventure 72, Long Beach Wilson 60

St. Genevieve 52, Elkton (Ore.) 34

St. John Bosco 52, Heritage Christian 43

Saint Louis (Hawaii) 67, Linfield Christian 47

St. Margaret’s 54, Estancia 46

St. Mary’s 60, Gahr 59

St. Monica 57, Sacramento 35

Stevenson 70, Coachella Valley 42

Sun Valley Poly 61, Dorsey 39

Tarbut Valley Torah 77, Rancho Alamitos 38

Temescal Canyon 60, Indian Springs 45

Temple City 79, Mountain View 31

Thousand Oaks 62, Summit 60

Torrance 61, La Quinta 52

Torrey Pines 76, Temecula Valley 70

Tustin 63, Live Oak 34

University Prep 81, Oxnard Pacifica 78

Valley View 49, Tahquitz 41

View Park 54, Legacy 52

Viewpoint 75, Grand Terrace 54

Villa Park 87, Lynwood 48

Vista Murrieta 70, Auburn (Wash.) 58

Warren 69, Western 36

Washington 65, Fairmont Prep 63

Weed 83, Hueneme 36

Westchester 49, Green Level (N.C.) 41

West Valley 72, Schurr 60

Whittier California 78, Alhambra 59

Wildwood 55, Logan Memorial Education 36

Wiseburn Da Vinci 61, Maranatha Christian 51

Woodbridge 76, Elsinore 55

Workman 96, Aveson Global Leadership 58

Ygnacio Valley 78, Murrieta Valley 50

Yorba Linda 64, Oak Park 46

Yucaipa 77, Serrano 46

GIRLS

Acalanes 63, San Juan Hills 37

Anaheim 63, South El Monte 19

Anaheim Canyon 59, Oceanside El Camino 16

Antelope Valley 58, Atascadero 19

Apple Valley 55, Canyon Springs 51

Arcadia 52, Colony 25

Arleta 60, Temple City 40

Bakersfield Centennial 69, Lancaster 46

Beckman 47, Oak Ridge 46

Bellevue (Wash.) 57, Esperanza 44

Bellflower 43, Capistrano Valley 41

Birmingham 58, Legacy 46

Bishop Amat 59, Carson 50

Bishop Montgomery 51, St. Mary’s 47

Buena 66, St. Bonaventure 51

Buena Park 63, Camarillo 59

Burbank d. Mary Star of the Sea (forfeit)

Burbank Burroughs 61, Highland 43

Calipatria 41, Desert Chapel 24

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 67, Sage Creek 30

Cardinal Newman 54, JSerra 53

Chula Vista Mater Dei 51, Cerritos 43

Chaminade 49, Vanden 39

Chaparral 54, Pasadena Poly 45

Chula Vista Mater Dei 51, Cerritos 43

Clovis North 54, Dana Hills 50

Coachella Valley 44, La Quinta 39

Compton Centennial d. Firebaugh (forfeit)

Corona 58, O’Farrell Charter 20

Corona Centennial 91, Hesperia 24

Corona del Mar 57, Escondido Charter 48

Corona Santiago 84, Artesia 15

Colton 56, Indian Springs 21

Cosumnes Oaks 54, El Toro 45

Crean Lutheran 58, Marina 29

Crescenta Valley 55, La Canada 46

Culver City 49, Central Catholic (OR) 36

Cypress 50, Aliso Niguel 35

Downey 36, Redlands East Valley 27

Eastside 54, San Bernardino 12

Elsinore 48, Riverside North 24

Etiwanda 64, San Diego Lincoln 38

Fairmont Prep 71, Salesian College Prep 62

Flagstaff (Ariz.) 49, La Palma Kennedy 37

Flintridge Prep 60, Eastvale Roosevelt 48

Flintridge Sacred Heart 48, Royal 35

Fountain Valley 50, Orange County Pacifica Christian 34

Gahr 83, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 23

Galena (Nev.) 31, Murrieta Mesa 25

Garden Grove 45, Bolsa Grande 34

Glendale 63, Heritage Christian 58

Glendora 59, Bell Gardens 25

Godinez 48, Millikan 36

Grand Terrace 51, Rowland 39

Grant 50, L.A. University 13

Hanford 46, San Bernardino 24

Harvard-Westlake 54, Oakwood 23

Hoover 41, Pilibos 37

Imperial 48, Xavier Prep 20

Jurupa Valley 40, Mission Viejo 30

Laguna Beach 56, Banning 17

Laguna Hills 48, Long Beach Cabrillo 32

LA Hamilton 51, Mira Costa 38

Lakewood 62, El Dorado 59

Lakewood St. Joseph 68, Lincoln (Wash.) 42

La Mirada 57, Inglewood 39

La Palma Kennedy 57, Winslow (Ariz.) 43

La Salle 50, Summit 25

La Serna 34, Northview 30

Leuzinger 66, Fillmore 21

Loma Linda Academy 52, Glendale Adventist 6

Long Beach Jordan 64, Edison 22

Los Alamitos 81, Desert Christian Academy 35

Los Osos 59, Rio Hondo Prep 34

Marlborough 84, Granada Hills 39

Medfield (Mass.) 62, Garfield 31

Midland Christian (Texas) 44, Garfield 23

Moreau Catholic 52, Brea Olinda 47

Mountainside (Ore.) 75, Huntington Beach 32

Newbury Park 55, Shalhevet 49

Notre Dame Academy 53, West Ranch 34

Oak Hills 52, Bonita 35

Oceanside 66, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 32

Ontario 52, La Habra 25

Ontario Christian 110, Orange Vista 11

Orange 36, Norco 13

Oxnard 37, Thousand Oaks 36

Palm Desert 40, Yucca Valley 34

Palm Springs 47, Liberty 21

Paloma Valley 37, San Leandro 30

Paramount 55, Victory Christian Academy 52

Parkway (La.) 62, Brentwood 47

Patriot 40, Mission Viejo 30

Peninsula 49, Eastlake 19

Pleasant Valley 49, Santa Margarita 44

Portola 41, Virgin Valley (Nev.) 38

Ramona 43, Fontana 37

Ramona Convent 41, Alhambra 34

Rancho Buena Vista 60, Gardena Serra 36

Rancho Cucamonga 58, Vista Murrieta 35

Riverside Poly 54, Tahquitz 45

Rolling Hills Prep 84, Scripps Ranch 44

San Clemente 61, King/Drew 40

San Diego Cathedral 46, Sonora 42

San Dieguito Academy 45, Northwood 34

Santa Ana Mater Dei 91, Oakland Tech 25

Santa Fe 57, Upland 41

Saugus 53, Granada Hills Kennedy 27

Savanna 45, Santa Ana Foothill 29

Segerstrom 57, Edgewood 10

Shadow Hills 49, Mount Si (WA) 46

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 54, Murrieta Valley 47

Sierra Canyon 81, Yucaipa 25

Sierra Pacific 58, Mark Keppel 45

Simi Valley 60, Nordhoff 46

South Pasadena 70, Academy of Our Lady of Peace 21

St. Margaret’s 57, Campbell Hall 51

Stevenson 41, Lakeside 21

Sunny Hills 46, Long Beach Wilson 29

Trabuco Hills 44, Holy Martyrs 24

Troy 65, Anderson 49

Tesoro 79, Ocean View 54

Union (Wash.) 83, St. Mary’s Academy 50

United Christian Academy 54, Tustin 53

Valley View 57, Aquinas 29

Ventura 64, Louisville 49

Verdugo Hills 64, Santa Paula 54

Village Christian 55, Santa Monica 47

Villa Park 70, Irvine 38

Walnut 43, Whittier Christian 35

Warren 37, Garden Grove Pacifica 19

Westlake 45, Legacy (Nev.) 40

Westminster La Quinta 28, Irvine University 26

Whitney 80, Everett (Wash.) 41

Whittier 54, Rosemead 46

Whittier California 42, Placentia Valencia 40

Windward 50, Kamehameha Kapalama (Hawaii) 35

This is the fourth entry in a five-part series about the state of the New York Giants. Within “Giants 2025,” we will examine the talent on the roster, the team’s positions of need, their pathways to improvement, the players they could target in the offseason and finally, the people charged with restoring this franchise to its former glory. 

As the New York Giants pondered taking a quarterback in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft, the team’s brass reviewed the spotty recent history of top picks at the position in a “Hard Knocks” scene. As coach Brian Daboll rattled through the list of first-round busts over the past 10 years, general manager Joe Schoen asked for the takeaway from the review.

“Take a (C.J.) Stroud,” Daboll replied dryly about the Texans quarterback named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after being the No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft.

If only it was that simple. As the Giants prepare to dive into the quarterback pool of the 2025 NFL Draft, they’ll do so fully aware there are no assurances whoever they pick will have a Stroud-like effect on their franchise. Recent history shows it’s rare for a rookie quarterback to engineer a turnaround like Stroud in Houston or 2024 No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels this season in Washington.

The reason for that is obvious: Top picks generally go to bad teams. So, no matter the rookie quarterback’s talent, it’s a tall task to single-handedly transform a doormat into a contender overnight.

That point is further emphasized by the top picks, like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, who were dumped by their first team only to find success elsewhere later in their careers. Those cases reinforce the importance of the external factors around a young quarterback.

The Giants are on track to land the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft. That will allow them to choose between Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward, who are widely viewed as the top two quarterback prospects in the 2025 class. So here’s a closer look at the Giants’ ecosystem Sanders or Ward will walk into.

Part I: How many building blocks can one of the league’s worst rosters actually have?
Part II: Salary cap shouldn’t stand in way of improvement; NY has money to spend
Part III: Free-agent targets include bridge QB, help for Dexter Lawrence, true No. 1 CB

Coaching staff

No one formula guarantees success for a rookie quarterback. But some important ingredients typically help a young QB thrive.

The offensive coaching staff might be the most important element. Daniels has excelled under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who was the Cardinals’ head coach when 2019 No. 1 pick Kyler Murray won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

“It always looks like Jayden has an answer no matter what you do,” NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger told The Athletic. “If you go blitz-zero on him, he knows where he wants to go with the ball. He’s an elite athlete. He can escape, and he can rescue some plays. But I feel like built into the offense, they always have a check-down some place where he can just get the ball out of his hands and get the ball to a receiver — maybe break a tackle, maybe pick up a first down — but at least get a completion where you can build confidence in your player.”

Meanwhile, dysfunctional coaching situations and suspect schemes have derailed elite prospects like 2021 No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville and 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams in Chicago as rookies.

“(The Bears) fired the offensive coordinator first, then they elevated the quarterbacks coach to be the offensive coordinator, so now he has that,” Baldinger said. “Then they fired the head coach and elevated the offensive coordinator now to head coach. Now he’s splitting his duties between coaching Caleb, which he was doing full time, to now he’s got to coach the whole team. So that’s a disaster.”

It’s tricky to forecast the Giants’ coaching situation. Daboll oversaw the development of Josh Allen from a raw prospect to an MVP-caliber quarterback after getting picked No. 7 by the Bills in 2018.

Daboll’s track record with Allen was a major selling point when he was hired by the Giants in 2022. But the Giants haven’t drafted a quarterback in Daboll’s three years on the job. Some initial success with 2019 first-round pick Daniel Jones deteriorated rapidly. Now, Daboll may not be around to mentor Sanders or Ward because of how catastrophically the Giants have failed in the past two seasons.

“I feel like Brian has concepts that are good that can work,” Baldinger said. “I feel like if you gave him really good pieces, I think he could be a good game planner and build a good offense around (a rookie QB).”

Moving on from Daboll and Schoen would provide a complete reset, allowing the three most important individuals in the organization to be on the same timeline as they are in Washington. That would avoid the current mess in Chicago, where Williams will have a third head coach and a GM on the hot seat to start his second season.

If the Giants fire Daboll, they need to prioritize hiring the best head coach to lead the entire team. But there’s an obvious appeal to landing a coach with an offensive background as they prepare to shepherd in a new quarterback. Because if a defensive-minded coach hires an offensive coordinator, that assistant will become a coveted head-coaching candidate if he has success developing the Giants’ quarterback. Washington could face that problem as Kingsbury rebuilds his profile through Daniels’ success.

“If he’s proven to be good, you’re going to lose him,” Baldinger said. “Now you’re changing coordinators, and you’re changing the offense for that guy. I feel like a young quarterback needs an offensive coordinator head coach.”

Supporting cast

The supporting cast is another key component to helping a young quarterback succeed. Drake Maye has flashed the potential that made him the third pick in this year’s draft, but the results have been lackluster due to the Patriots’ dearth of offensive talent.

A new Giants quarterback will inherit some talent at the skill positions, headlined by Malik Nabers, who looks like a No. 1 wide receiver after an impressive rookie season. Rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. has also shown promise. But the playmakers could use an upgrade to better support a rookie quarterback.

“I like Tyrone Tracy a lot. I think he’s good,” Baldinger said. “It doesn’t look like (Darius) Slayton will come back. I don’t know what they’re doing with Jalin Hyatt. I thought Hyatt had some ability. But you’re basically looking at a decent slot receiver (Wan’Dale Robinson) and then Malik. I think (tight end) Theo Johnson can be OK.”

Perhaps more important to a young quarterback’s success than his weapons is his protection. Armed with the most cap space in the NFL, the Commanders overhauled their offensive line this offseason. They signed center Tyler Biadasz and left guard Nick Allegretti while adding left tackle Brandon Coleman in the third round of the draft.

The Giants’ offensive line progressed from historically bad to functional this season. That’s a step in the right direction, but only left tackle Andrew Thomas, who has an increasingly concerning injury history, is a top-tier lineman.

The Giants figure to run it back with veterans Jon Runyan at left guard and Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle, with 2023 second-round pick John Michael Schmitz at center. That’s a serviceable core, but there aren’t any Pro Bowlers in that group. Right guard is a weakness that needs to be addressed this offseason.

“I would invest, maybe not a first-round pick, in getting a really good player on the offensive line. Maybe you look in free agency,” Baldinger said. “They’ve had injuries every year. I would make sure I’m at least seven-deep with veteran players.”

There are other factors, like having strong leadership and a quality defense, that are valuable complements to a young quarterback. The Giants’ leadership void has been exposed this season after losing some of their most respected voices in the locker room. Adding a veteran like the Commanders did with future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner would be beneficial.

The Giants’ defense hasn’t been a disaster this season, but it’s not a formidable unit. More upgrades will be needed on that side of the ball to relieve some pressure from a young quarterback.

Schoen’s sales pitch to ownership undoubtedly will be that the team is a quarterback away from contending. And that if the right quarterback is plugged in, they can take off like the Commanders did with Daniels this season.

But that type of success is rare. A review of first-round quarterbacks picked by teams with four or fewer wins in the past 10 drafts shows it’s uncommon to see immediate team success.

(This table doesn’t include teams that traded up to the top of the draft since they weren’t in the same situation as the Giants in the previous season. The team’s overall season record is in parenthesis when a quarterback didn’t start every game as a rookie.)

The Giants can only dream about drafting a quarterback as good as Joe Burrow. But not even the NFL’s current passing leader was able to turn around the moribund Bengals immediately. Burrow went 2-7-1 in 10 starts before tearing his ACL during his rookie season in 2020. He led the Bengals to a 10-6 record and a trip to the Super Bowl in his second season after the team added All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in the first round of the 2021 draft and star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson in free agency during the 2021 offseason.

Obviously, the goal is to land a quarterback who can perform at the level of Burrow for the next decade. But this exercise is designed to examine how well the Giants are positioned to facilitate an instant turnaround with a rookie quarterback.

It’s impossible to project how NFL-ready Sanders or Ward are at this point, so we can only evaluate the situation they’ll be joining. The Giants have some pieces in place to facilitate a rookie quarterback’s success, but there are some big questions — most notably with the coaching staff — that need to be addressed.

(Photo illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; photos of Andrew Thomas, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Malik Nabers and Joe Schoen: Cooper Neill, Luke Hales, Todd Kirkland and Bryan Bennett / Getty Images)

Two-time NBA champion Isiah Thomas opened up about his personal health. 

During a recent appearance on former NBA coach Mark Jackson’s “Come And Talk 2 Me” podcast, Thomas revealed he was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy. 

The condition resulted in his facial muscles drooping.

“I’ve gotten a lot of love from people saying, ‘Well, Isiah’s sick. What is he going through?’” he said. “I haven’t really told anybody, but I’ve got Bell’s palsy. … That’s why you see me like this. I appreciate the prayers and the love. That’s what’s happening with my mouth right now. I just wanted everyone to know that.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, Bell’s palsy is a neurological condition that can cause muscles on one side of the face to suddenly weaken. People diagnosed with Bell’s palsy experience symptoms ranging from mild to severe. 

NBA CHAMPION ISIAH THOMAS DEMANDS MICHAEL JORDAN ISSUE A PUBLIC APOLOGY

A smile could appear one-sided and the eye on the affected side could be difficult to close. Over time, the condition can improve.

Team Isiah head coach Isiah Thomas is introduced during the 2022 NBA Rising Stars Challenge at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland Feb. 18, 2022. (Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports)

Thomas is not the first former or current NBA player who has dealt with Bell’s palsy. Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers said he was diagnosed with the condition ahead of April’s playoff series against the New York Knicks.

Basketball Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas during the second half of a game between the Phoenix Suns and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Footprint Center in Phoeniz, Ariz., April 3, 2024. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)

Embiid averaged 33 points during the series.

Thomas spent his entire NBA career with the Detroit Pistons, earning 12 All-Star team nods. He was named the NBA Finals MVP in 1990.

After he retired, Thomas made the leap to coaching and spent time leading the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks. He also coached at the collegiate level.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.