Ohio State point guard Abel Porter retired from the sport Wednesday due to a rare heart condition.
The 6-foot-3 graduate transfer from Utah State said he was recently diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
“While scary, people with HCM generally lead healthy and normal lives but unfortunately this will end my basketball career,” Porter wrote in a statement posted to social media. “This diagnosis has turned my life upside down but having a long-term perspective has been so important as I’ve tried to accept this.”
Porter started all 34 games for Utah State in 2019-20, averaging 5.6 points, 3.2 assists and 2.4 rebounds.
He averaged 4.3 points, 2.4 assists and 1.9 boards in 94 career games (54 starts) with the Aggies from 2016-20.
“For 24 years, I’ve put everything I have into my basketball career,” Porter wrote. “So much time, money, blood, sweat, and tears has been invested in it. I never really prepared myself for a life without it. I especially never prepared for basketball to be stripped from me without warning.”
Buckeyes coach Chris Holtmann said Porter’s condition was not related to COVID-19.
“This has been a difficult past few weeks for Abel and his family,” Holtmann said. “He is a tremendous person, and I know he is very appreciative for the opportunity to be a Buckeye. Abel has expressed how thankful he is for the fantastic medical care he has received. He will remain a part of our program.”
According to the Mayo Clinic website, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick. The thickened heart muscle can make it harder for the heart to pump blood.
–Field Level Media