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Former Baylor Player, Stricken By Illness, Returns To Basketball

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BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Former Baylor standout Isaiah Austin has arrived in Serbia after being cleared to play basketball again, 2½ years after he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome during a physical before the NBA draft.

Austin, who played for the Bears from 2012-14, has signed with FMP Belgrade with a view to joining regional champions Red Star Belgrade next year.

Isaiah Austin
Isaiah Austin #21 of the Baylor Bears brings the ball upcourt against the Kansas Jayhawks on February 4, 2014 at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. (credit: Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

The 7-foot-1 player wasn't selected in the 2014 NBA draft after being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue that holds together the body's cells, organs and tissue.

The 23-years-old Austin wrote on his Facebook page that "after 2014 I was told this day would never come, but God is great and has been with me this whole time, so here I am!"

(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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