Boston Celtics fans on hand to cheer for their team at Wednesday’s regular-season opener will also get a chance to show their support for a person really worth cheering for.
Isaiah Austin, whose competitive basketball career was cut short when he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, will be honored as part of the Celtics’ “Heroes Among Us” initiative, the team announced Monday.
Marfan syndrome is a life-threatening genetic disorder of the body’s connective tissue, which puts Austin’s heart in danger of rupturing if he continues to play basketball. Austin left Baylor after his sophomore season, but before learning he had the disorder, to enter the draft. Until the diagnosis, Austin was expected to be one of the 60 players selected, despite being legally blind in one eye.
Austin has since dedicated himself to increasing awareness of Marfan syndrome.
In an emotional moment, NBA commissioner Adam Silver “drafted” Austin into the NBA, offering him a job once he completes his degree at Baylor.
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Thumbnail photo via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images
