If you ask the casual NBA fan who Jonathan Isaac is, you probably won’t get an answer at all.
The 25-year-old who was born in the Bronx, made national headlines in 2020 during the NBA Playoff Bubble at Disney World for being the only player in the bubble who didn’t kneel in protest for the national anthem.
“I don’t think that kneeling or putting on a t-shirt for me personally is the answer,” Issac said to reporters back in 2020. “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.”
The former Florida State standout had gained headlines in recent weeks for his most recent off the court business venture, starting his own anti-woke brand.
UNITUS is a brand that Isaac hopes will capture consumers who appreciated his decision to stand and do not approve of companies that publicly support the corrupt Black Lives Matter movement.
Isaac was able to speak early last week with Fox & Friends about what he hopes his brand will bring to the table and why he feels it will succeed.
“I believe that values matter, and in today's day when we do give our money to companies that don't support our values we're cosigning their message,” Issac said in an interview on Fox & Friends. “What I wanted to do was give Americans who are freedom-loving and faith-loving the option to buy what they value.”
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Jonathan Isaac, professional basketball player
of NBA team Orlando Magic File Photo
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“Retail brands have the freedom to go woke,” said Issac on his X account this week. “We have the freedom to create an alternative. UNITUS launches August 2023.”
Isaac announced the launch of the brand on Dennis Prager's “PragerU” account. PragerU is an anti-woke non-profit that tries to educate people on the dangers of “wokeism” and leftist ideology while promoting conservative ideals.
During the launch video for the UNITUS brand posted on both the PragerU and his own personal account, Isaac said “Woke companies have made a conscious decision to either attack or undermine Christian values, you know conservative values.”
Isaac’s main goal with the company is to get other professional athletes who value Christianity the way he does to sign on and spread his message to the youth and all other people who share his values.
Isaac was drafted sixth overall in 2017 by the Orlando Magic after playing collegiately at Florida State in Tallahassee, Florida. He has had an up and down career, averaging nine points per game and missing significant time due to a severe ACL injury at the end of 2020.
He returned to the court in the 2022-23 season for the Magic and he looks to bounce back on the court this season while he hopes his brand off the court is just as successful.