PART III: THE RETURN

As the Adelaide 36ers prepare to host their first NBL Pride Round game this Saturday against Cairns Taipans, Isaac Humphries sat down to chat about how his life has changed since making the decision to tell the world he was gay.

PART III: THE RETURN
After playing one season at Melbourne United in NBL23, Humphries decided to come back to the 36ers during free agency.

Humphries said his decision was made in the best interests for his career but did have some flashbacks from his previous stint at the 36ers.

“My two journeys in Adelaide are almost night and day,” Humphries said.

“It was a very weird feeling coming back in here (Adelaide 36ers Arena) and almost having these flashbacks like of who I was, and it was just such an almost scary moment.

“I was not in a good way at all, and I had to walk away from my whole life, which was here (in Adelaide) to get myself back on track.

“Coming back was really weird but I think being able to walk in and being able to be in this environment again.”

Humphries spent two seasons with the 36ers in NBL21 and NBL22, and despite showing MVP form, he was hobbled with injuries.

“In Adelaide where so much happened in my life and being able to be fully OK with it and to just understand it that that is what happened and being aware of that and that’s where I was at in my life and now, I get to come back as a totally different, full circle person,” Humphries said.

“It’s been a really fulfilling experience, I constantly think about what was and where I am at now, I’m very proud of myself of where I have come.

“There’s been so many examples where I see things or be in an environment where I remember something happening or a bad situation happening.

“Now, I’m just not there anymore, I’m not that person, I don’t think about that.

“It’s like a time machine in a weird way, a very fulfilling time machine.”

READ MORE

• PROUD JOURNEY: PART I - THE DECISION
• PROUD JOURNEY: PART II - THOUGHT PROCESS
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HOSTING PRIDE ROUND
Humphries is thrilled the 36ers get to host their first Pride Round game this Saturday against Cairns Taipans.

The star big man hopes the 36ers fans embrace the round and the match and support the awareness and support Pride Round brings to the community.

“Let’s celebrate it, just as much as we celebrate Indigenous Round, just as much as we all got around Superhero Round, just as much we all got around Pink Round,” Humphries said.

“This is a community of people that literally pride themselves on accepting anyone and everyone for who they are, regardless of what shape, size, colour, whatever you want to come as, come as you and you’re accepted.

“It’s a community that tries to find happiness and joy in everything because we have had almost no happiness and no joy in so much of our lives.

“So come with that intention, it’s a night we get to celebrate, be colourful and have a good time, it’s no different to any of those other rounds, it’s just a round to appreciate and understand that everyone is welcome in this space.”