Isaac Humphries is living the dream.
Fresh off a Queerties nomination, the out basketball star recently made the final roster for Australia’s national team. It’s the latest honor for the power forward, who’s averaging an impressive 15.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this season for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s top pro league.
But Humphries isn’t only making an impact on the court. Later this month, he’ll be performing at Adelaide Fringe, the biggest arts festival in the southern hemisphere.
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A lifelong musician, Humphries released a collection of Christmas songs last holiday season. He plays the classics, from “Silent Night” to “The Most Wonderful Time.”
With a booming voice and commanding presence, the 6-foot-11 basketball hottie owns the stage.
“Is there anything this man cannot do!!,” soccer stud Jake Williamson commented.
So far, the answer appears to be a resounding “no.”
It’s been a whirlwind 16 months for Humphries, who publicly came out as gay in November 2022.
The 26-year-old played his college ball at the University of Kentucky under legendary coach John Calipari, who’s won one NCAA Championship with the Wildcats and qualified for six Final Fours throughout his illustrious career. Humphries declared his intention to go pro in 2017, foregoing his final two seasons of college eligibility.
After not being selected in the NBA Draft, Humphries returned home to Australia for a couple of years before signing on with the Atlanta Hawks late in the 2018-19 season. The following summer, Humphries again signed with an Australian club, the Adelaide 36ers, and hasn’t looked back.
When he told his teammates he was gay, they immediately embraced him.
“A few years ago, I fell into a very dark place, a very lonely place,” Humphries told them. “I couldn’t be who I am, and I attempted to take my life. The main reason behind me becoming so low and being in that point is because I was very much struggling with my sexuality and coming to terms with the fact that I’m gay.”
Humphries says he made the decision to come out after spending time in Los Angeles and seeing other gay men live freely. Following his trip, he realized he could no longer hide.
He was depriving himself of joy.
“I hated it about myself. I was disgusted at myself,” he said. “I thought that I could not be that person within our environment, within a basketball environment. It wasn’t until I was in a community that’s full of pride and happiness and joy. It was a big wake up call for me.”
On that fateful day, Humphries told his teammates he decided he couldn’t wait any longer.
“But then came the big question mark of how do I be a basketball player, and how do I join a new team when I’ve finally come to terms with this about myself and I don’t wanna hide who I am anymore,” he said. “I decided that, if I’m gonna join a team, that I’m gonna come out publicly, and just make sure people know that you can live. And you don’t have to hide, just because you’re an athlete.”
There’s little doubt that Humphries has been living his best life since then. He’s been a fixture on Australia’s red carpet scene, modeling for GQ and Ralph Lauren.
This man looks great in a black tie.
But Humphries isn’t just using his elevated status to pose in front of the cameras or enjoy a hot gay summer, though those are certainly worthwhile endeavors! He’s also using his voice to inspire other LGBTQ+ young people who may be struggling, just like he was.
Humphries is an ambassador for the Australian non-profit R U OK?, talking about how he survived the toughest periods of his life.
On his 26th birthday earlier this year, he shared a message of hope.
“Today I turned 26! There was a time in my life I didn’t think I would even make it to this age,” he posted on Instagram. “I’m not super keen on corny instagram posts but this birthday has made me reflect on what an amazing year 25 was for me and how much more life there is to live. Thank you for all the birthday love!”
While Humphries has experienced unvarnished joy since coming out, he’s open about the struggles he experienced leading up to that life-changing moment.
“It was easily one of the hardest moments in my life, standing there, sharing something with people that I never thought I would share,” he told Men’s Health in an interview that coincided with the NBL’s Champion Pride Round. “I thought I wouldn’t be on Earth anymore before I told a room like that what was going on with me. I had all these people looking at me and I was sharing something that was an extremely, deep-rooted secret. It was a very scary moment, but a moment I knew had to happen in order for me to keep living my life.”
For Humphries these days, life is pretty good. Team Australia defeated Korea in their first FIBA pre-qualifier, setting themselves up for a tournament run when action resumes later this year.
But Humphries, to his credit, doesn’t only measure success by eye-popping wins or statistics. Take his nascent music career, for example.
He knows the biggest victory of all is putting yourself out there.
“Are my numbers huge? No. I’m not embarrassed. I am so proud of myself for making the first step in this industry by putting my own material out there,” he wrote on Instagram in response to his 2023 Spotify Wrapped.
At the end of his post, Humphries promises there’s “so much more to come.”
We agree! It’s been a blast watching his journey unfold.
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