The Journey Of Mareik Isom

London Lightning forward Mareik Isom’s path to professional basketball wasn’t necessarily an easy one but it was a rather interesting one. Wether it’s transferring in his junior year from Little Rock to Texas or playing for several different NBA G-League teams, Isom has had a much different path to success than most other professional basketball players however, Isom has made his mark in London and is doing some serious damage in the NBL right now.

Michael Tran | 2020 | London Lightning

(Mareik Isom helped up after a fall by G Xavier Moon and F AJ Gaines)

Advertisements

Isom grew up in Austin Texas and would later attend Bowie High School in Arlington Texas where he would earn two all-district selections averaging 16.5 points along with 6.5 rebounds in his senior year. He would later go on to attend Little Rock University in Arkansas where he thought he would go on to make his mark however, things quickly changed. Mareik unfortunately never had the keys to the Trojans offense, and Isom’s lack of playing time contributed to his limited production. After his junior year he decided he would transfer to the University Of Texas where he would play alongside star’s such as Jarrett Allen and Kerwin Roach. Isom thought that this would eventually be the turning point in his basketball career however Texas had a rather disappointing season going 11-22 in regular season play, and Isom’s lack of playing time continued as he would average only 6.9 minutes per game.

247 Sports | 2015 | Mareik Isom

(Mareik Isom attempts to save ball from going out for Little Rock University)

Isom would join the Saint John Riptide of the NBL Canada for the 2017-18 season where he would rack up 12.3 points along with 4 rebounds a game. After his season with the Riptide, Isom would go on to earn himself a spot on the Salt Lake City Stars roster in the NBA G-League. Isom would finally get his shot to prove himself on the biggest stage he’s ever been on. Isom would appear in 14 total games for the stars averaging 13.5 minutes per game while playing a crucial role on the defensive side of the ball. He would later go on to play 6 games for the Wisconsin Herd where that would eventually be the end of his G-League career, but little did Isom know he would get another opportunity in professional basketball.

Peter Clark | 2018 | Saint John Riptide

(Mareik Isom play-calling for the Saint John Riptide)

Mareik Isom would later sign with the London Lightning for the 2019-20 season and has been tearing it up ever since he’s got the opportunity to showcase his true talent. In the 10 games that Isom has played with the Lightning, he is averaging 13.9 points, and 6.6 rebounds on some unbelievable efficiency of 56.8 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from behind the arch. Isom definitely had a rough journey, and got overlooked by multiple different teams but it looks as if he’s found his home in London.