Isaiah Austin is a 7'1" center out of Baylor University who was projected to be a second round pick in tonight's NBA Draft. To get to this point he's had to overcome a whole lot including being blinded in his right eye from a middle school accident; as well as a shoulder injury that prevented him from coming out early for the 2013 Draft.
This year Austin was all set to realize his NBA dream but was dealt yet another serious (and this time permanent) setback to his chances of making the association. That's because Austin was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome only a few days ago. This disease is genetic and is a connective tissue disorder. The condition (which probably gave Austin his extreme height) also could rupture his heart if he continues to play competitive basketball (especially at this level). That's a risk nobody would take (except maybe Ronnie Lott).
Still, it didn't stop the NBA from giving Austin this moment in the sun with a nice tribute:
