|
Isaac Edward "Ike" Austin is a retired American professional basketball player. He is also the uncle of Baylor University's Isaiah Austin.
Austin was born in Gridley, California. A 6' 10" center from Kings River Community College and Arizona State University, he was selected by the Utah Jazz in the second round of the 1991 NBA Draft. He averaged two points and 1.1 rebounds during his rookie season with the Jazz, and after two more sub-par seasons, he signed to play with Tuborg Ä°zmir, a Turkish basketball team. Austin averaged 22.3 points and 13.9 rebounds during the 1995-1996 season in Turkey, and he returned to the NBA the following season as a member of the Miami Heat.
With renewed confidence, Austin averaged 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Heat and received the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 1997. Austin had his best season in 1997-1998, when he averaged 13.5 points and 7.1 rebounds while playing for the Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers. After that season, he signed a lucrative contract with the Orlando Magic, but his play began to regress. Austin was traded to the Washington Wizards for Ben Wallace after one season with the Magic, and the Wizards later traded him to the Vancouver Grizzlies, with whom he ended his NBA career in 2002.
|
