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Isaiah Austin’s career is over due to medical condition

Isaiah Austin

Isaiah Austin

Eric Gay

Former Baylor center Isaiah Austin announced on Sunday afternoon that his playing career is over after being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome.

Marfan syndrome is an inherited disorder that affects the body’s connective tissue. About 1 in 5,000 people have Marfran syndrome. It was revealed Austin suffered from the disorder during testing as he prepared for Thursday’s NBA Draft.

“This is devastating news, but Isaiah has the best support system anyone could ask for, and he knows that all of Baylor Nation is behind him,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew said in a statement. “His health is the most important thing, and while it’s extremely sad that he won’t be able to play in the NBA, our hope is that he’ll return to Baylor to complete his degree and serve as a coach in our program.”

The 7-foot-1 Austin played two seasons for Baylor, averaging 11.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore. He declared for the 2014 NBA Draft on April 22.

Austin could have entered the draft in 2013, but decided to return to Waco for a sophomore season. In January, he revealed that he was blind in his right eye, a secret he kept from the public for much of his playing career.

According to Holly Rowe, who interviewed Austin on Sunday afternoon’s SportsCenter, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has already reached out to Austin and had invited him to Brooklyn for the NBA Draft.

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