The American’s hometown was hit hard during the category five hurricane
Isaiah Canaan, Olympiacos: ‘Experiencing Hurricane Katrina made me a tougher person’
Interviews
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Olympiacos Piraeus guard Isaiah Canaan is getting ready to play in his second Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, but a life-changing event when he was 14 years old helped shape him into the hard-working, resilient and talented player that he is today.
In late August 2005, Canaan’s hometown of Biloxi, Mississippi, was heavily affected by Hurricane Katrina — a category five hurricane, the highest level there is.
Canaan and some of his family members sought cover in a church and stayed there until the worst had passed. Once they went back out onto the street, they witnessed the devastation Hurricane Katrina had caused in Biloxi.
For the Olympiacos star, he used that experience as a motivation in both life and basketball.
“It helped me become tough. I know that when things get tough on the court, I’ve been in tougher moments,” Canaan tells Euroleague.net’s Geoff Gillingham. “When things seem impossible on the court, I’ve been in those moments where it seemed like I wouldn’t be here. That’s something impossible and I’m here. It just made me a tougher person. Strong mind and strong backbone. I know I’ve been in tougher situations, so it helps me.”