Isaiah Austin: Keep Dreaming
Doors are closed on dreams all the time. However, it doesn’t mean those same dreams won’t ever come true. Isaiah is the perfect example of that.
June 26th, 2014. A night Isaiah Austin will never forget.
Isaiah, who worked his ass off at Baylor to get to this point, was indeed drafted, but not how he planned it. Austin was diagnosed with “Marfan Syndrome” days before the 2014 NBA Draft, which slammed the doors shut on his NBA dreams. NBA commissioner Adam Silver made sure that Austin was represented as an honorary draftee that night, but it would of course not help with the pain of being so close yet so far from the NBA.
Austin didn’t let this stop him, however. He continued to grind and work hard until he was medically cleared to resume basketball activities on November 30th, 2016. Deals overseas would begin to pour in almost immediately. From 2017–2021 Austin played in Serbia, Lebanon, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Dubai, and the Dominican Republic. He’s most known for his playing days in China where he put up some insane numbers.
16 games with the Guangzhi Weizhuang of the Chinese NBL: 34.6 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, & 4.3 BPG.
32 games with the Guangxi Rhino of the Chinese NBL: 33.2 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, &1.7 BPG.
Isaiah Austin was downright dominant overseas, a “stretch five” who can do it all on both sides of the court, along with being equipped with the handles and shot of a guard. Austin has truly been an inspiration for many who love basketball, and for those who love a good comeback story. This year would be a culmination of all of his hard work as Austin would enter his name into the draft pool of the “BIG 3” basketball league. He would be selected first overall by the “Enemies.”
Only 27 years of age, Austin has seen tremendous highs and unbearable lows. This man has battled back to a place where his talents can be seen on all levels. Dreams are both faint and vivid, as well as being the fuel that drives us when we want to achieve our goals. Yes, Isaiah Austin's dream was to be an NBA player, but for him to fight his way to where he is now when things looked bleak is just a testament to his determination and drive. Things we noticed during his impressive two years at Baylor.
