Magic's Jonathan Isaac Sparks Outcry After Refusal To Kneel

BYAlexander Cole11.3K Views
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Jonathan Isaac
Jonathan Isaac was also the only player who wouldn't put on a Black Lives Matter jersey.

Orlando Magic player Jonathan Isaac has caught quite a bit of flack on social media recently thanks to his refusal to wear a Black Lives Matter shirt during the Magic's first game inside of the bubble. In fact, Isaac was the only player who decided not to kneel during the National Anthem, which made his lack of BLM shirt stand out even more.

The only reason why this is a big story is because Isaac is the only player to not kneel thus far. Every single player has worn a Black Lives Matter shirt since the return of the league, making Isaac stick out like a sore thumb. In the image below, he looked quite out of place amongst his teammates.

As you can imagine, his actions led to quite a bit of reaction on social media, with many digging up old tweets that seem to suggest he has an alternative way at looking at the world, when compared to his teammates. For instance, Isaac once shared an opinion in which he felt the Central Park 5 were actually somewhat at fault for their own arrests. He has also been known to follow many far-right figures. 

On Twitter, there seemed to be two sides with many on the MAGA equation welcoming Isaac with open arms, all while actual NBA fans were upset that he wouldn't show solidarity with his teammates. Needless to say, the Magic locker room must be an interesting place right now.

About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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