The former NBA star has been a pioneer and advocate for sickle cell patients. Here's how you can help, too.
Billy Garrett Jr. Is Asking You To Give Blood
Published on Feb. 21, 2025
Billy Garrett Jr. grew up loving basketball—his grandfather, Bill Garrett, was the first Black basketball player to regularly play in the Big Ten conference of American college basketball. Billy made his own history in the game, too. When he took the floor for the New York Knicks on April 3, 2019, he became the first player with sickle cell disease in NBA history.
When Garrett was 12, he was at a basketball camp when a sickle cell crisis that caused splenic sequestration, which is when sickled (or abnormal) red blood cells “get trapped in the spleen and block blood flow, causing it to suddenly get bigger, fill with blood, and become swollen and painful,” per the U.S. Centers for Central Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This event resulted in Garrett’s first-ever blood transfusion.
Sickle cell disease is a hereditary blood disorder disease, meaning a person diagnosed with sickle cell inherits specific genes from their parents. The CDC states that people with sickle cell have red blood cells that are not round like healthy red blood cells. As a result, the C-shaped red blood cells (which can resemble a common farming tool called a sickle) can get stuck in blood vessels and are also prone to die early. According to the American Red Cross, more than 100,000 Americans have sickle cell disease—and Black Americans are most likely to be affected by it, as one out of every 365 Black Americans is diagnosed with sickle cell disease.
Today Garrett is a shooting guard for ZTE Zalakeramia in Hungary. Ahead, he and The Healthy by Reader’s Digest discuss how donating blood can be one of the most meaningful ways to commemorate Black History Month. Use the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org/OurBlood or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) today.
The Red Cross adds that those who come to give blood, platelets or plasma through Feb. 28 will receive a $15 e-gift card to their merchant of choice. Additional details can be found at RedCrossBlood.org/Flurry.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Healthy by Reader’s Digest: Billy, you’re the first NBA player with known sickle cell disease, and you say it’s “one of the greatest things” that’s happened to you. That’s so inspiring. Can you explain what you mean?
Billy Garrett Jr.: I consider having sickle cell to be one of the greatest things to ever happen to me because it’s provided me a platform to inspire. For me it doesn’t get any greater than that. It’s also taught me that I possess a level of courage, faith, and perseverance that I otherwise wouldn’t have known. The obstacles that sickle cell presents has made me show up in all those areas and as a result made me a stronger person overall.
The Healthy: You must have had to overcome physical challenges in your training and conditioning. Can you talk about any of that—and how were you diagnosed?
Billy Garrett Jr.: A sickle cell crisis is the most severe symptom. However, on the way to that I’d experience fatigue and shortness of breath. All of which can be induced by strenuous activities like playing high level sports. This created many complications for me early in my career, but as I became more understanding of my body and its triggers I was able to develop a routine that allowed me to train at a high level without going into crises. I was diagnosed with sickle cell at birth through newborn screening.
The Healthy: Can you tell us more about the importance of blood donation, especially as someone with sickle cell disease?
Billy Garrett Jr.: As someone who’s directly benefited from blood donation, I can speak directly to the impact that it has on lives. I’ve needed blood transfusions to help recover from multiple crises, and without them I’m not sure I’d be where I am today. I encourage all who are able to give blood to look into it because you never know the impact that it can have on someone else’s life.
The Healthy: What goal do you have your sights on at the moment?
Billy Garrett Jr.: In the immediate future my focus is on sharing my story with as many people as possible in hopes to inspire. I’ve recently released a book entitled Ode to the Warrior that details my journey to the NBA despite having sickle cell. I believe it’s something that not only sickle cell warriors, but all people can take inspiration from and apply to their everyday lives.
The Healthy: What’s one self-care habit you refuse to skip?
Billy Garrett Jr.: My morning meditation! It allows me to anchor myself in the present and go into everyday with a positive outlook.
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