The next stop on the Isaiah Austin comeback tour will be in Puerto Rico, where the former Baylor big man has agreed to play for the Guaynabo Mets of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN).
“I’m very thankful for this opportunity and excited to be a member of the Mets,” said Austin. “My basketball journey has taught me to take nothing for granted. I have more love for the game than ever and physically, I feel great. I want to win and am ready to do whatever it takes to bring home a championship for Mets nation.”
Once considered a first-round NBA draft prospect, Austin’s basketball career appeared to be over in 2014 when he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a rare connective tissue disorder that enlarges the aorta. Since being medically cleared to play again, Austin has emerged as a top international player during professional stints in Serbia, China, and Lebanon. He now joins Puerto Rico’s first-tier-level basketball league as the centerpiece of a Mets team that is hoping to write its own comeback narrative.
The Guaynabo Mets return as an expansion team to the San Juan Metropolitan Area for the 2020 season after the team was dissolved in 2015. Before then, the Mets won three championships and reached the finals nine times. They are the BSN’s first expansion team since 1993—the last year the Mets reached the finals.
Owner Marc Grossman wants to establish the Mets as the next great BSN dynasty. He is confident that Austin is the right player to build that dynasty around.
“Isaiah’s accomplishments on the international stage are a reminder of why he was so highly touted coming out of college”, said Grossman. “But with Isaiah, we’re getting more than a great player. We’re also getting a great person. I couldn’t be happier to have him as the face of the Mets franchise.”
A unique blend of size, quickness, and shooting touch made Austin one of the nation’s top recruits coming out of high school. As a two-year starter at Baylor University, he averaged 12.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game while earning Big 12 All-Rookie Team and Big 12 All-Defensive Team honors. But prior to the 2014 NBA draft league doctors ruled him ineligible due to his medical condition.
Austin struggled through some difficult personal times but never gave up his dream of playing professional basketball. In January 2017 he signed his first pro contract with Serbian club FMP. That summer, he moved to China and played for the Guanxi Rhinos of the Chinese National Basketball League, averaging 34.6 points and 13.4 rebounds. Austin rejoined the Rhinos in 2018 and again led the team with 33.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. His efforts earned him a spot on the Nanjing Monkey King of China’s preeminent league, the Chinese Basketball Association. Over 34 games he averaged 17 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks while playing against NBA-level talent.Austin joins a Mets squad that also includes Angel Alamo, Francis Jonathan Han, Carlos Emory, Rafael Perez, Tyquan Rolon, Miguel Ali Berdiel, Weiyinmi Rose, Lonnie Rivera, Ansel Guzman, Daniel Hamilton, and Rakeem Christmas. The BSN regular season begins March 1. For season ticket sales and corporate sponsorship opportunities, call (844) 275-0995 or visit www.metsbasketball.com.