Jonathan Isaac of the Orlando Magic has become the first NBA Player to stand during the national anthem. His decision is rooted in his faith.
The Orlando Magic beat the Brooklyn Nets with a 128-118 score in the game last Saturday. But what took over the headlines was Isaac’s choice to go against the norm and honor his faith.
Both teams kneeled down in solidarity against racial discrimination and wore a “Black Lives Matter” shirts. But, the 22-year-old stood alone in his white jersey.
Jonathan Isaac
The first question thrown at Isaac after the game was if he believes that black lives matter. The ordained minister replied, “Absolutely. I believe that Black lives matter. A lot went into my decision…It’s my thought that kneeling or wearing a ‘Black Lives Matter’ t-shirt don’t go hand and hand with supporting Black lives.”
He added, “I don’t think that kneeling or putting on a t-shirt for me personally is the answer. I feel like Black lives are supported through the gospel, all lives are supported through the gospel. And we all have things that we do wrong and sometimes it gets to a place of pointing fingers about who’s wrong is worse…We all fall short of God’s glory.”
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“And at the end of the day, whoever will humble themselves and seek God and repent their sins, then we can see it in a different light. See our mistakes, and see people’s mistakes in a different light. See people’s evil in a different light. And that it would help bring us closer together and get past anything that’s on the surface that doesn’t really deal with the hearts of men and women.”
Steve Clifford, the Magic’s head coach, supported his decision. “I support him, his teammates support him, the organization supports him. So, that’s part of living in our country.”
Jesus is the answer
Moreover, Isaac was the only one who did not have a social justice message written at the back of his jersey. “I think that I just wanted to take that stance in saying that I believe Jesus is the answer, so I didn’t think that wearing a message on the back of my jersey was the answer for me.”
Although he knew that many would question his stance, Orlando Pinstripe reported that Isaac claimed that his gesture had nothing to do with the anthem or the flag itself but about his own beliefs.
