Baylor's Isaiah Austin Honored At The 2014 NBA Draft
(Photo : Youtube)
Between the 15 th and 16 th picks at the 2014 NBA draft, commissioner Adam Silver paused to honor former Baylor star, Isaiah Austin, making him a ceremonial pick.
Austin, whose basketball career ended four days short of getting drafted in the NBA, was diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome, a genetic condition that affects the connective tissues of the heart and other organs in the body. The former Baylor star has had high prospects at being picked prior to his diagnosis.
'With the next pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the NBA selects Isaiah Austin from Baylor University,' announced commissioner Silver on stage as the crowd at Barclays Center rose to its feet.
Austin was sitting among the first round picks, walked up the stage wearing a generic NBA cap, and posed with Silver. It was the closest Austin gets to being drafted at the NBA whose genetic disorder prevents him from playing competitive basketball.
'For Commissioner Silver to even invite me here was a tremendous blessing and it just shows how much class that man has,' Austin said.
The 7-foot-1 Austin has had a rough week after receiving the diagnosis. 'I've just had a tremendous amount of support from everybody around the world, telling me they're praying for me and everything. I can't thank everybody enough,' reported ESPN.
Earlier in the week, Baylor's coach Scott Drew offered him a coaching job with the Bears.
'I have a whole life ahead of me,' said Austin who decided he was not going to sulk about not being able to play basketball, 'because I can still be involved with the game somehow or some way.'
Already, he is spreading some words on perseverance. 'I want people to know they can push through anything, because I've done it,' he said.
Austin played through his sophomore year at Baylor with a prosthetic right eye after multiple surgeries couldn't fix his detached retina.
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