NBA player Jonathan Isaac has finally had enough with the woke messaging from basketball apparel brand Nike and has decided to start his own venture. Isaac, who has been outspoken in his conservative opinions and unafraid to share his faith, started UNITUS to create competition against “woke” clothing brands that dominate apparel in the NBA.
Isaac became well-known as a star player in college at Florida State University before becoming the sixth overall pick in the NBA draft in 2017 by the Orlando Magic. Now, while still an NBA player, Isaac has spent time pushing back against radical leftism in the NBA. Most notably, Isaac had chosen to stand during the National Anthem, even during a time when very few players in the league chose to.
Isaac spoke to Fox and Friends about why he saw the need for this new clothing brand and is choosing to continue taking a stand for his beliefs. “I didn’t want to align myself with the Black Lives Matter movement and organization,” Isaac said. “And I felt that a true answer to all the problems that we see, not just racism, was the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, I decided to stand up and share it.”
Isaac also explained that his new clothing venture is about giving consumers a real opportunity to vote with their wallets. He wants to be certain that his fans understand what it means to give money to companies like Nike. He said, “When we do give our money to companies that don’t support our values, we’re cosigning their message. So, what I wanted to do was give Americans, freedom-loving Americans, faith-loving Americans the option to buy with their values.”
Isaac also took some time during the interview to reflect on the criticism and praise that he has received during his time in the spotlight. As is typical of his character, he has handled the fame with grace and courage. He said, “People respect me for my courage of standing for what I believe in and doing things myself. Yes, I’ve gotten my fair share of negativity. But I like to focus on the positive.”
He also added that is ideology is “not about hating anybody. It’s not about going against anybody. It’s simply saying that our values are valid, and they deserve to be celebrated. And if they won’t, then we’ll celebrate them ourselves.”
Isaac continues to serve as a reminder that it is important to stand by one’s beliefs, even in a group of folks who share none of your values. Isaac has been unafraid to respectfully disagree with many of the narratives being pushed in the National Basketball Association.
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He also serves as a reminder that hard work and determination can overcome even the most egregious cancellation attempts. Even though his views are far from popular in the NBA, his skill on the court has made him irreplaceable and kept his career safe.
Featured image: Mogami Kariya, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons