Isaac Humphries, Australia’s First Openly Gay NBL Player, Retires At 28

Isaac Humphries, Australia’s first openly gay NBL player, has announced his retirement from competitive basketball following a persistent knee injury.

The 28-year-old Adelaide 38ers club champion took to Instagram on Tuesday to announce the news.

“Thank you, basketball,” Humphries wrote, “I’m so sad to say goodbye like this. Sometimes life deals you cards that tell your story for you, and due to my continued knee injury I’ve had to make the incredibly difficult decision to retire.

“I’ll miss my teammates. The laughs. The trenches. I’ll miss the fans, the noise, and the feeling of having an entire community behind you. I gave so much of my life to this sport, and it gave me a life I could never have imagined right back.

“There is so much more to say, but for now, just thank you. I hope the identity I created lives on in every person who wears my jersey, and in every place I was lucky enough to call home. It’s not exactly a goodbye, but maybe an until I see you soon.” 

Isaac Humphries’ Legacy

Across his career, Humphries competed in 173 NBL games across stints with the Sydney Kings, Adelaide 36ers, and Melbourne United. In 2022, he became the first NBL player to openly come out as gay, calling it “one of the hardest conversations” he’d ever had in his life.

At the time, Humphries described how isolating and difficult it had been attempting to remain closeted.

“I fell into a very dark place, a very lonely place,” said Humphries.  “I couldn’t be who I am and I attempted to take my life. The main reason behind me becoming so low and being at that point is because I was very much struggling with my sexuality and coming to terms with the fact that I’m gay.

“I hated it about myself,” Humphries continued. “I was disgusted with myself. I thought that I could not be that person within our environment and within our basketball environment. It wasn’t until I was in a community that’s full of pride and happiness and joy and it was a big wake-up call for me.”

Humphries went on to decide that he no longer wanted to hide.

“I decided that if I’m going to join a team, then I’m going to come out publicly and just make sure people know that you can and you don’t have to hide just because you’re an athlete,” said Humphries.

“I just want to be myself. I discovered this is my purpose in life and I’m going to give it my best go.”