ISAAC HUMPHRIES
Basketballer, musician, role model—Isaac Humphries really is the ultimate all-rounder.
Known for his impressive height (standing at over 7 feet tall!) and being the first openly gay player in the NBL, Isaac spent his childhood nurturing his musical talent before he started playing basketball in his teens. As an adult, the sporting giant has found a way to inhabit both passions—and now the world is taking notice.
Isaac chatted with us about his love for fashion, the surprising similarities between the stage and the court, and where he goes in the city to dance the night away.
When you want to feel confident, what is your go-to look?
What is the most memorable moment of your career in Adelaide?
Depends what career, I guess—there's a few there! Music-wise, I'd say selling out my [Adelaide] Fringe shows the first year I was an ambassador, and selling out my first ever concert was a really cool moment for me.
Winning MVP for my team, the Adelaide 36ers, was awesome as well. But I think what tops it is, being in Adelaide as an openly gay man and athlete and just be myself. That is a memorable moment for me every day.
Is there a spot in the city that you like to introduce people to?
I love to introduce people to 2KW for a nice dinner and some cocktails. And then always, if they're up for it, go to Mary's [Poppin] for a dance and show people the queer vibe in Adelaide. That's our only space. So, yeah, it's a great place to take people to.
How would you describe Adelaide’s creative energy?
I think Adelaide is full of creative people. It comes alive during the Adelaide Fringe and festival season. Everyone's very open to new things here and being immersed in the creative world and experiencing shows that come to town. All that stuff is great, but I think having our own homegrown Fringe and those festivals centred around creativity and artists is one of my favorite things about Adelaide.
Do you remember a moment when fashion helped you feel more like yourself?
Fashion for me has been such an evolution, as it is for everybody. When I was closeted, I was very straight-to-the-point and never explored fashion that much. I felt like I would be outed with my fashion, I guess, or what I always wanted to wear. But since coming out I’ve been able to express that on stage, especially since as basketballers we have to wear a uniform, so there's not much else we can really do there.
But I remember a moment when I felt unbelievable on stage during an [Adelade] Fringe show. I had an amazing designer, Michelangelo in Los Angeles, design a floor length black feather coat for me—and floor length at seven foot is massive!
I remember being on the stage, being doused in smoke, strobes going 100 miles an hour, 450 people screaming, and this big single backlit spotlight hitting me as I erupted in this massive floor length feather coat with shoulder pads and the whole deal. It was very cool. I finally felt like the little kid who dreamt of wearing these androgynous clothes on stage, and now I get to do it and have all these people cheer for it.
Is there a song that always recharges you?
Oh, this one will stump me for sure! Actually, I am a theatre nut at heart ... I go to Broadway. The Wicked and the Rent soundtracks, Dear Evan Hansen, Death Becomes Her... anything Broadway gets me into it. Recharges my soul, recharges my vibe.
So how do you shift between the stage and the court? Is there a mindset, look or ritual for you?
Shifting between stage and court is a question I get asked a lot because it is very, very different—but there are a lot of similarities that I find anyway. There's the energy, the rush, the adrenaline that I get from both. I don't necessarily have a ritual; I just compartmentalise what I'm doing at the time.
Playing basketball in front of 10,000 people is awesome, but you're with a team and you're about other people and what's best for the team. Whereas when I'm on stage, I get to be me... I get to express more of an individual perspective as Isaac Humphries.
If you could wear only one item for the rest of your life, what would that be?
Oh my gosh, a hoodie. Just a big, oversized, comfy hoodie. Trying to find an oversized hoodie at my size is impossible. So when I get one, it's worn to the death.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
This is the best piece of advice that I have ever received, and it has stuck with me for a long time. Obviously, in my field, I have to make a lot of decisions with a team of people, but at the end of the day, I have to make those decisions.
That advice was: “Don't base decisions on the advice of those that don't have to deal with the results”. So take information, make informative decisions, but at the end of the day, if people aren't living that life or dealing with the result of that decision, then don't base the whole decision on that entirely.
STEAL THEIR STYLE
Isaac wears:
- H&M Relaxed Fit Trench Coat
- Tom Ford Bronson Sunglasses in black/yellow
- David Jones Jacket, Shirt, Tie and Pants
Adelaide City is your style destination—shop these pieces and more in-store at leading Rundle Mall retailers H&M, Shades Shop and David Jones.
