Who Is Isaiah Canaan, The NBA Point Guard? 6 Things You Need To Know

Quick Facts

Injuries have plagued Isaiah Canaan for the most part of his career, however, the former Murray State star player has managed to emerge stronger each time. Canaan started his NBA career in 2013 after being selected in the second round as 34th overall pick by the Houston Rockets.

The point/shooting guard has gone ahead to shine for teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Northern Arizona Suns, and the Phoenix Suns. We take you through his life and career in 6 facts.

Things You Need To Know About Isaiah Canaan

1. His father coached him in his AAU team

If you are an avid fan of Isaiah Cannan, you can tell that he is incredibly fond of his parents especially his dad, Sardie Cannan and there are many reasons for that. For one, Canaan’s father was not only interested in his academics when he was a kid but supported him in every extracurricular activity. He coached his AAU basketball team and attended all of his games. His mother, Nicole Martin who worked swing shift (6 p.m. – 2 a.m.) attended his games whenever possible.

Canaan was born on May 21, 1991, in Biloxi, Mississippi as the first child of his parents. He has 8 younger siblings

2. Canaan faced a near-death experience in middle school

This is a fascinating fact that not many NBA fans know about. When Canaan was a kid in middle school, he was one of the victims of the Hurrican Katrina. Young Cannan was stuck on the second floor of a church right next to his grandmother when the floodwaters kept climbing up. What was worse? Neither Canaan nor his grandmother could swim, so they remain stuck prepared for the worse.

Fortunately, both were rescued from the church. Canaan’s grandmother lost her home in the aftermath of the tragedy. Canaan then lived in a church where he sang in the choir as a kid before living with his mother in the Atlanta area for about 2 months. After the Hurricane was over, Canaan returned and helped his grandmom rebuild her home.

3. Sports was the only thing Isaiah Canaan wanted to do since his childhood years

As a kid, Canaan Isaac knew from as early as middle school that he wanted to be an athlete. Nothing else mattered to him as he kept his focus on all of the sports he loved. He started by playing Pee-Wee football before adding basketball. It was only during his years at Biloxi high school that Canaan decided to turn all of his focus towards basketball. In his senior year, he led his varsity team to the 5A Mississippi state championship.

4. His number 3 jersey was retired by Murray State on the 17th of February 2018

Isaac Canan had such an outstanding college career that in February 2018, his number 3 jersey was retired by his college Murray State which Canaan had to choose among other options because of their unwavering belief in him.

Canaan’s impact was immediately felt on the varsity Racers team. He was named the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) freshman of the year in 2010 and the MVP of the competition. The B-baller was a two time OVC Player of the Year in 2011 and 2012 – his sophomore and junior year. From his sophomore year to his senior year, Canaan made it to the First-team All-OVC.

5. Injuries have posed a serious threat to his career

Beginning from his rookie NBA season in 2014, Canaan’s career has been plagued by frequent injuries. He suffered his first professional injury, an ankle sprain in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers in November 2014. As a result, Canaan spent most of his rookie season in the Development League.

After joining the Philadelphia 76ers in 2015, Canaan had a very good season breaking Allen Iverson’s tie after scoring three three-pointers against the Indiana Pacers. His flow was truncated yet again by an injury, this time a torn labrum on his left shoulder which saw him sit out the rest of the season.

The injury marred his performance and saw him struggle for the next couple of years when he was waived by the Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Houston Rockets. He ended up with the Phoenix Suns towards the end of 2017. However, the new year 2018 didn’t start well for him as Canaan again suffered an injury, a fracture to his left ankle in a game against the Mavericks. He was waived by the team but was resigned on August 3, 2018.

6. His Salary

Canaan has earned over $4 million in salary alone since the start of his career in 2013. As of 2018, according to , Isaiah Canaan has earned an estimated $4.6 million from 5 seasons in the NBA. He earned over $1 million during his brief stay with the Chicago Bulls in the 2016-17 season.

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