This is a very unfortunate story to a guy that was against the odds to begin with.
Projected 1st round pick Isaiah Austin who was supposed to be the first partially blind NBA player will have to retire from basketball due to being diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome.
Marfan syndrome is caused by a genetic mutation that leads to problems in connective tissues throughout the body. One feature of Marfan syndrome is aortic enlargement, which can be life-threatening.
Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew was the first to talk about it…
This is devastating news, but Isaiah has the best support system anyone could ask for, and he knows that all of Baylor Nation is behind him.
His health is the most important thing, and while it’s extremely sad that he won’t be able to play in the NBA, our hope is that he’ll return to Baylor to complete his degree and serve as a coach in our program.
I heard about this guy a year ago and I loved his story of becoming a great player despite having a detached retina in his right eye.
It’s a shame this has happened to such a nice guy but at least he has Baylor nation behind him and he can go into coaching after finishing his studies.
