NBA Veteran Jonathan Isaac Donates Scripture-Laced Sneakers to Bible Museum
The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., has unveiled its first-ever exhibit of Scripture sneakers signed by Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac. During an unveiling at the museum Tuesday evening, Isaac presented his Judah 1 sneakers produced by his faith-based apparel brand UNITUS.
"The @weareunitus Judah 1 will officially live on as the first basketball sneaker displayed @museumofbible," Isaac wrote on Instagram.
"Thank you's all around to my family and the Unitus team but first and foremost to Jesus! None of this exist if He doesn't first give Himself for me and all of us!" he added.
"This is Just the beginning!! Can't wait until the Judah 2 drop coming soon."
According to The Christian Post, the Judah 1 sneakers are part of the museum's "Impact of the Bible" exhibit, which highlights how God's word has influenced art, education, architecture, and other aspects of life. The sneakers also include the Scripture Proverbs 28:1, which states: "The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion."
Isaac, who played for the Magic for six seasons and sat out two due to a severe knee injury, went viral in 2020 after refusing to take a knee during the National Anthem before a basketball game amid the Black Lives Matter protests. In 2023, he launched UNITUS as an "anti-woke" brand after Nike dropped him due to his injury.
Speaking to The Christian Post, Isaac shared how he is using his brand to encourage Christians to stand boldly for the Lord.
"It's also about loving people well. It's not about just trying to, you know, shove God down everybody's throat," Isaac told The Christian Post.
"It's about just being authentically you, being gracious, loving other people. But when the moment comes that you are at odds with the culture or what other people think, I think we have a responsibility to stand with Christ," he argued. "And I've seen that God will not let you go."
Isaac, who previously attended Florida State University, said he is honored to have his sneakers on display at the museum.
"It's so much wrapped into one," the father of two told CP. "It's legacy, it's the goodness of God."
"You know, if Jesus doesn't come back anytime soon, then my kids and my kids' kids will always be able to come to the Museum of the Bible and remember their grandpa, great grandpa, and say, 'Hey, our grandpa did something for the honor and the glory of God, not for himself, and that's why it's in the Museum of the Bible.'"
Photo Credit: ©Instagram/jonisaac_01
Originally published August 22, 2025.
