Lebron James has long been notorious for his virulently anti-police stance, but not all NBA players feel similarly.
In a day and age packed with BLM and rage, it’s nice to know that more than one NBA player is willing to take a stand for what’s right.
Orlando Magic player Jonathan Isaac recently detailed why he refused to take a knee during the national anthem during a sit-down with Fox News.
Needless to say, Isaac’s message is one that should resonate with multiple communities and individuals across the United States, especially as it is one filled with healing and hope.
“For me, that was kind of the highlight of my early career of being in the NBA, was 2020. It was after the tragic death of George Floyd, and we were ushered into the NBA ‘bubble,’ where there was just so much pressure. Not even just in the bubble, but just around the world with the rise of the Black Lives Matter organization and movement,” Isaac began.
What a way to start one’s career.
One would think that professional basketball would be on the table, but as it turns out, it’s also becoming a de facto social justice warrior.
Isaac noted that the bubble began in July 2020, and it was certainly a bubble of enormous magnitude when it came to peer pressure.
However, while Isaac feels deep sympathy for anyone suffering, he certainly does not feel comfortable with the tactics employed by BLM.
“For me, it was simply about offering another solution. I saw the issue. I saw the problem. I saw what happened to George Floyd. And as I listened to the tone and the rhetoric of the Black Lives Matter organization and movement, I never truly felt comfortable,” Isaac observed.
As it turns out, BLM is laden with massive tax cheats and other fraudsters, so it’s little wonder that Isaac did not feel excessively comfortable with the group’s tactics.
Isaac also provides insight into the first time he felt pressured to take a knee … and what he ultimately did in response.
“Getting into the bubble, I’m faced with this moment of being with my teammates the day before I decided to stand, and we’re having this team-only meeting, and they’re saying, ‘We don’t have a choice. A team already knelt the day before. We’re just going to go along with it and everybody be happy … And one of my teammates turned towards me and says, ‘What are you going to do?’” Isaac recalled.
And that’s when the NBA player dared to do exactly what the media didn’t want him to do … Think for himself.
“And I said, ‘Fellas, I’m not going to kneel, and I’m not going to wear that T-shirt. Simply because I have another solution. I don’t believe that kneeling for the national anthem or wearing a T-shirt is the same thing as saying that we support Black lives. They’re not synonymous,” Isaac continued.
Exactly.
“I believe that the ultimate answer is that if White and Black people collectively can choose to love each other in spite of the differences, in spite of the fallouts, in spite of the sins of each other, then we could have true change,” Isaac continued, “because we all fall short of God’s glory. We’ve all done wrong, and it’s easy to point the finger at somebody when their wrong is displayed. But if ours were, how would we want to be handled?”
Incredibly wise words, as well as an incredible demonstration of a successful individual for all communities to look up to, especially during times of major crisis.
Indeed, Isaac speaks freely about turning to his pastor for guidance, which in turn helped him offset the flack he received for failing to back BLM.
Specifically, when speaking to the pastor about his fears regarding future NBA career, Isaac was given some exceptionally clear advice.
“And he said to me, ‘Jonathan, you cannot stand for God, and God not stand for you.’ And that was kind of the mic-drop moment of ‘I’m going through with this. I’m going to trust God,” Isaac recalled.
One can only hope the tenacious faith of Isaac will inspire several other phones to drop.
Author: Jane Jones
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