Star college basketball player Isaiah Austin announced that he won't be a part of the NBA draft on Thursday, June 26 due to a rare heart disorder called Marfan syndrome. The former Baylor Bears center, who is partially blind, has been receiving a lot of buzz after he helped his team reach the 2014 NCAA tournament.
During an emotional interview with ESPN, Austin announced that during a physical for the NBA draft he was diagnosed with the conditon.
"They told me that my arteries in my heart are enlarged and that if I overwork myself or push too hard that my heart could rupture," Austin said his voice halting to fight back tears. "The draft is four days away and I had a dream that my name was going to be called."
According to CBS, Marfan syndrome affects the body's connective tissue and can range from mild to severe. Complications from the syndrome can weaken the artery that supplies blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Some symptoms can be treated with medicine while others can be life-threatening, according to Mayo Clinic.
The Marfan Foundation said that the condition affects one in 5,000 people and typically people with Marfan are unusually tall and thin, and tend to have disproportionally long arms, legs and fingers. Following the announcement, the 7-foot-1 basketball player wrote a message to his fans on Instagram.
"This game. It is a platform for anyone and everyone who comes in contact with it. I was blessed enough to play it on one of the highest levels despite the odds that were stacked against me. Blessed is all I can say. Thankful is all I can be. The love from you all is greatly appreciated! I know God has a plan! If I can say one to to anyone, it would be please, please do not take the privilege of playing sports or anything for granted. #Newbeginnings," he posted.
Austin also thanked fans for their support on Twitter. During his final season with the college team, the 20-year-old revealed that he had a prosthetic right eye after several operations couldn't repair a detached retina.
According to CBS, he damaged his eye when a previous injury was aggravated doing a dunk before a middle school basketball game.
"I felt like quitting, I felt like giving up," he told CBS in March about losing his eye. "I was scared that college coaches weren't going to recruit me if they found out."
However, Austin kept practicing his skills and quickly became one the top five players in the country.
"My mom always tells me that nobody is going to remember you for the great basketball player you are, but they will remember you for the character you have off the court and for all the lives you changed," Austin said during the interview with CBS.
