How God Guided NBA Star Jonathan Isaac through Adversity
Orlando Magic player Jonathan Isaac reflected on how God had guided his life in the past five years, which were filled with physical and emotional challenges. Isaac addressed the moment when he went viral in 2020 for refusing to kneel when the rest of his team took a knee during the National Anthem in support of the Black Lives Matter protests. "The stand is simply about saying Christ is the answer," he told The Christian Post, reflecting back on that time. "He's the answer then, and He's still the answer now."
In retrospect, Isaac contended that Christians should take a stand for the Gospel despite opposition.
"There's going to be moments where we, as Christians, are going to have to stand on the Word of God and say, 'I see what the world is saying, but I'm going to choose what God is saying, regardless of the backlash, regardless of the … flack that I'll get from it.'"
Although he understood many were upset over the death of George Floyd in 2020, Isaac maintained the "Gospel of Jesus Christ" will always be the answer because its message can "penetrate the hearts of men."
"What changes us?" he asked. "The Gospel. … It's changed me, and that's what I've kind of been resting on."
Isaac also addressed how he ended up creating his faith-based apparel brand, UNITUS, after a torn left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) cost him a deal with Nike.
"Having a difficult situation, not knowing why God is taking me through this moment of tearing my ACL, having a really devastating — not just a physical, a painful injury — but a devastating injury to the career," he explained. "A lot of guys don't come back half of themselves when they go through something like that."
Despite the setback, Isaac's pastor encouraged him to lay the foundation for what would become UNITUS, which also led to the creation of the Judah 1, the first NBA sneaker to have Bible verses imprinted on it.
Overall, the initiative of the sports apparel brand helps people "stay connected to Christ and stay connected to each other."
"We've seen tremendous support of people who get the vision," Isaac said of UNITUS.
Looking back, Isaac realized how God used the emotional and physical trials to prepare him to launch UNITUS. He also hopes that the Bible verses on the sneakers would remind believers of what ultimately matters.
"It's a reminder to me, I want to live in a way that honors God," he said. "And then there's obviously also the connection to other people that you see wearing the brand and just the brand being celebrated."
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Mike Ehrmann/Stringer
Originally published July 25, 2025.
