Between the 15th and 16th picks in the 2014 National Basketball Association Draft, Baylor center Isaiah Austin was surprised with a ceremonial pick, even after he was diagnosed with career-ending Marfan syndrome days before the ceremony.

Newly appointed NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced in New York's Barclays Center that Austin was being drafted by "Team NBA."

Marfan syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that weakens connective tissues and can cause excessive growth of longer bones. The 7-foot-1-inch Austin found out about his condition during a physical before the draft. During his sophomore year at Baylor, Austin revealed he was blind in his right eye and multiple surgeries had not fixed a detached retina.

"I had a dream that my name was going to be called," Austin, 20, told ESPN. "They said I wouldn't be able to play basketball no more at a competitive level. ... They told me my arteries and my heart are enlarged and that if I overwork myself or push myself, my heart could rupture."

During the special pick, Austin joined Silver onstage, taking photographs and accepting a blue NBA hat, as opposed to the team jersey draftees typically receive.

"I have a whole life ahead of me," Austin said at the ceremony. "I'm not going to sit here and I'm not going to sulk about not being able to play basketball anymore because I can still be involved with the game somehow or some way. Coach Drew has offered me a coaching job as long as -- my high school coach, Coach Ray, and Commissioner Silver has offered me a job with the NBA somewhere. So I can always be around the game that I've grown up to love and have a passion for, and I'm thankful."

According to CNN, the Marfan Foundation estimates that about 200,000 Americans have Marfan syndrome or a related disorder, and about half don't know it. Three-quarters of cases are inherited. There is no cure, but there are surgeries and medications that can help people with Marfan syndrome lead healthy, happy lives.