Holding On and Letting Go: Some Thoughts on Isaiah Austin’s NBA Draft Moment.

Isaiah Austin was supposed to get drafted tonight. He was supposed to become a millionaire. His entire life was leading up to this moment. The thousands of hours dominating on the basketball court – as a kid, in high school, in college. And then a few days ago, he was told he can’t play basketball anymore, because something is wrong inside his body. It’s not his fault, it can’t be fixed, it’s beyond his control.

And just like that, his basketball career is over.

Isaiah has handled the whole thing with impossible positivity and poise and grace, saying he will learn to dream new dreams, saying he is grateful for all the years of basketball and all it gave him.

And then tonight, this moment.

The NBA wanted him to have the experience of getting drafted. In the middle of the first round, they called his name. Standing ovation. The same walk to the stage as all the other players, the same photo moment with the commissioner.

And it hit me: This appeared a victory but it was literally a loss. They let him experience the thing being taken. “You can taste this, but you will never have this.”

And something else hit me: What a powerful thing to love someone as they lose, to stand and clap and cry, simply to express, “We see you. We’re so beyond sorry. You matter. Your pain matters. The death of your dream matters. You are not alone in this moment.” And what a powerful thing to watch someone lose with grace, to watch someone hold on and let go all at once. We are meant to win and lose together.

i’ll leave you with something i heard at lunch today: “Life’s basically about these two questions: What will you celebrate? What will you grieve?”