Jonathan Isaac found himself in the spotlight yesterday as he became the first NBA player to not kneel during the Nationa Anthem, while also choosing not to wear a Black Lives Matter shirt. The decision seemed to come out of nowhere although it's actually quite consistent with his belief system, as many people on Twitter eventually found out.
After the Orlando Magic's big win yesterday, Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report decided to ask Isaac about his decision. As he explains in the clip below, he is a religious person who feels as though Black Lives Matter doesn't correspond with his beliefs. He feels as though all people are made in the eyes of God and that BLM is simply not in tune with that.
“I don’t think that kneeling or putting on a T-shirt for me, personally, is the answer. For me, Black lives are supported through the gospel, all lives are supported through the gospel," Isaac said. "We all fall short of God’s glory, and at the end of the day, whoever will humble themselves and seek God and repent their sins, then we could see our mistakes and people’s mistakes and people’s evil in a different light, and that it would help bring us closer together and get past skin color, get past anything that’s on the surface that doesn’t really deal with the hearts of men and women.”
Isaac received a ton of criticism for his decision and subsequent remarks although it is clear that he is firm in his convictions. As far as his Magic teammates, they didn't seem to mind.