Subscribe
×
Man, I remember 11-12 years ago watching Isaiah Austin in a Baylor uniform.
He was a polarizing talent as a seven-footer who could handle the ball and shoot it. In today's game, Isaiah would be considered a hot commodity due to his skill set. In 2013, he was also considered that, but big men were backs to the basket players, supposed to be in the paint and "bruisers."
In this week's episode of "Run Your Race," Isaiah tells his story for the first time, in-depth, from front to back. This episode highlights the beauty of "Run Your Race" and the authenticity of the podcast, which really shines in this episode.
Isaiah had two pretty strong seasons at Baylor and was part of an incredibly talented team. Everything seemed pretty status quo, that was until but. The world really learned about Isaiah after he revealed some things about himself heading into the NBA draft in 2014. The biggest was that he was blind in one eye. This talented player, who shot with ease, could only see from his left eye. On the podcast, he talks about how he actually went blind in his right eye back in the eighth grade.
On June 21st, 2014, he was told he had Marfan Syndrome. Isaiah details how finding out about his illness felt like it was a scene from a movie, as he explains it.
His dream was taken away from him that day.
As a basketball player since childhood, all he had done was dream about playing in the NBA, and for Isaiah, that dream was now taken away.
What's even more bittersweet is the fact that he wanted to go to the NBA a year earlier but tore his shoulder with 3 minutes left in a workout during his freshman year. He could have been drafted in 2013 and seen his dreams followed through.
Isaiah opens up about what it was like going through a media tour days after finding out. He also recalls feeling "embarrassed" as the NBA made him an honorary draftee.
It really is one of our most emotional and best listens to date - you can watch it from start to finish below.
