Basketball Fans Want to Know What Happened to Isaiah Austin After the 2014 NBA Draft

Basketball fans are curious about 2014 NBA first-round draft pick Isaiah Austin, who was forced to give up his dreams of playing in the league. Isaiah was diagnosed with a medical condition that prevented him from playing in the NBA mere days before the draft ceremony.

In an emotional moment at the ceremony, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recognized Isaiah anyway and drafted him as an honorary member so that he could have his moment of being a first-round draft pick for the NBA. Isaiah wiped away his tears as he walked to the stage, and he shared a hug with the NBA Commissioner. So, what happened to Isaiah Austin?

Just days before the NBA draft ceremony, Isaiah Austin was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, which is a genetic condition disrupting how organs, tissue, and cells connect, per NBC News. It can lead to enlarged heart arteries that may tear, and the diagnosis made Isaiah ineligible to play in the NBA. The condition can be mild ot life-threatening. Isaiah was already blind in one eye from a detached retina, but he was thrilled when he made the draft and thought he could support his family.

Isaiah said that having his name called in the draft ceremony gave him some closure. “Being able to walk across that stage and being able to shake Adam’s hand kind of brought some light at the end of the tunnel for me," he said of the moment. “That moment will always be engraved in my mind and my family’s mind like a beacon.”

After two years, Isaiah was cleared by his cardiologist, who said he had no clear symptoms of Marfan syndrome, to play basketball no clear symptoms of Marfan syndrome, and he began pursuing playing professional basketball overseas. In 2017, he began playing basketball with the Chinese National Basketball League, as well as the Lebanese Basketball League, before he retired in 2021. Isaiah also finished his degree at Baylor University and graduated the same year.

Isaiah is now the Assistant Coach for the Florida Atlantic University basketball team. He also began a one-year fellowship that was created specifically for him in theNBA's player development department in which he worked with teams and players to help find their interests outside of playing basketball.

"I’ve actually just really been enjoying the ride, trying to be a sponge and absorb as much information as I can and just learn the business side of basketball," Isaiah said.

During his time playing basketball overseas, Isaiah played for 11 countries, and he also plays for the retired All-Stars basketball league, the BIG 3, which was founded by musician Ice Cube back in 2017. The league features retired NBA players, as well as international basketball stars. Isaiah was the first overall pick in the 2019 BIG3 League SuperDraft for the Enemies, and he is currently a co-captain for DMV Trilogy.