Jonathan Jeanne’s workout with the Raptors on Wednesday could be the last time he gets on the basketball court for a while, and possibly ever. Jeanne, a likely first round pick in this month’s NBA draft, has been diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, Yahoo reports.
Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects connective tissues in the body, and it has the potential to end Jeanne’s career. There are a handful of issues that can arise from the disease, but the most dangerous aspect is the potential for a weakened aorta, the body’s main artery located at the heart, which can lead to fatal complications.
An MRI during the NBA combine last month alerted Jeanne to a potential issue in his spine, which led him to a clinic for testing. He received the devastating results on Thursday:
Jeanne underwent an MRI while participating in the Chicago draft Combine in May that showed an abnormality in his spine that required follow-up examinations. He completed medical, physical and genetic testing at the Cleveland Clinic and received the results Thursday.
A lot of NBA teams were excited about the young French center, who stands 7’2″ with a 7’6″ wingspan. He was projected as the No. 22 pick in DraftExpress’ most recent mock draft. According to Yahoo, Jeanne is not expected to receive clearance for any more NBA draft workouts this spring.
According to Jeanne’s agent, Bouna Ndiaye, there’s still hope he can make it back onto the court one day. From Yahoo:
Jeanne remains hopeful that he can one day resume his basketball career after extensive medical supervision, Ndiaye said.
Thankfully, that hope is not unfounded. Former Baylor star Isaiah Austin also found out he had Marfan syndrome just days before he was expected to be drafted in 2014, forcing him into a premature and unexpected retirement. But last fall, Austin received medical clearance to play basketball again. He played nine games for Serbian club FMP in the Adriatic League during the 2016-17 season.
