Isaac Bradley Humphries (born 5 January 1998) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League (NBL). He previously played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats in the United States, and has played for various other teams in the US, as well as Melbourne United in Australia. He is known for his height, being 7ft (2.1m) tall, and for being the first NBL player to come out as gay. He is also a singer and cabaret performer, performing at the Adelaide Fringe in 2024 and 2025.
Isaac Bradley Humphries was born on 5 January 1998[1] in the Sydney suburb of Caringbah. He grew up in Cronulla, where the predominant culture was surfing and beach. He was a musical child, playing violin at four, trumpet the following year, and piano later. He also sang well,[2] and was a performer before he started playing basketball,[3] performing on stages around Sydney.[4]
After playing rugby league for a while, started playing basketball at the age of 12[5] In 2010, he spent six months in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.[6][5] or 13, and did not
Humphries attended Scots College in Sydney, where he reached 7ft (2.1m) in height by the time he was 16.[7] He was later very appreciative of the support and facilities offered by the school, saying "That school changed my life. Saved my life".[2]
Humphries took his game to the United States in December 2014[8] to play prep ball at La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana.[9] In 2015 he enrolled at the University of Kentucky, and saw action in 23 games as a freshman in the Kentucky Wildcats. Coming off the bench in all but one game, he averaged 1.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per contest.[10]
In the 2016–17 campaign, Humphries appeared in 38 games for the Wildcats with one start, producing averages of 2.8 points and 2.8 boards per outing in 8.3 minutes a game.[11] He scored a career-high 12 points in his last college game, Kentucky's 73–75 loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the South Region finals where he was also named in the NCAA All-Regional tournament team.[12]
In April 2017, Humphries declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final two years of college eligibility.[13][14]
Professional career
Sydney Kings (2017–2018)
Opting to turn professional, Humphries worked out with several NBA franchises over the summer, including the Washington Wizards, after going undrafted in the 2017 NBA draft.[15] Humphries returned to Australia and signed with his hometown team the Sydney Kings on 27 July 2017 for the 2017–18 NBL season.[16] With the Kings, Humphries averaged 6.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks while shooting 58 percent in 16 minutes per game, making six starts in 26 appearances. He was subsequently named the NBL Rookie of the Year.[17][18]
On 24 September 2019, Humphries signed with the Orlando Magic.[28][29] He was waived and assigned to the Lakeland Magic.[30] Humphries averaged 8.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game during the 2019–20 season.[31]
Adelaide 36ers (2020–2022)
On 16 July 2020, Humphries signed a two-year deal to return to the NBL with the Adelaide 36ers.[32] He averaged 13.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and a league-leading 2.8 blocks per game during the 2020–21 season. His mutual option for a second season with the 36ers was not exercised.[33]
On 9 July 2021, Humphries re-signed with the 36ers for the 2021–22 NBL season.[34] He played just six matches, averaging 7.7 points in 17.7 minutes per game, before a knee injury ruled him out for the season in February 2022.[35]
On 26 April 2023, Humphries signed with the Adelaide 36ers for the 2023–24 NBL season, returning to the franchise for a second stint.[38][39][40] He had the most productive season of his career coinciding with his first relatively injury-free season in a number of years. Humphries played in all 28 games and averaging 15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.[41] He was subsequently named 36ers Club MVP.[42]
On 7 March 2024, Humphries re-signed with the 36ers on a three-year deal.[43]
While playing basketball in the US, Humphries occasionally sang the American national anthem before basketball matches, and for charity events.[4] He restarted his music career after some years immersed in basketball, during which time he started learning new instruments that he could play anywhere. As of 2024[update] he was continuing the two careers in parallel, performing as well as writing and releasing music. In that year, he was an ambassador for the Adelaide Fringe,[3] as well as performing a show called Unearthed. It was so named because it focused on sharing personal moments and songs that helped him "unearth" who he became. The show included original songs as well as cover versions, which he sings in his tenor voice.[46] The season sold out.[47]
For the 2025 Adelaide Fringe, Humphries performs his show called More of Me.[47]
Personal life
On 16 November 2022, Humphries came out as gay.[48][49] The announcement saw Humphries become the only active openly gay male professional basketball player in a top-tier league anywhere in the world. He also became the first ever Australian male basketball player and first player in the NBL to be openly gay.[50][51] He said that he had struggled with his sexuality and contemplated suicide, but ultimately decided that he would be happier to be open about it with his teammates.[48][52] He posted a video online, which was shared widely, including by Lauren Jackson, Dylan Alcott, and Andrew Gaze. By February 2023 it had garnered around 10 million views, with mostly positive responses, including messages from Tones and I and Dannii Minogue. However, although the NBA sent a message of solidarity, not a single active NBA player showed support.[2]
Humphries has a tattoo on his arm reading "silence is loud", referring to his depression.[2] He is a friend of Prinnie Stevens, who was also an Adelaide Fringe ambassador in 2024.[46]
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