NBA’s Jonathan Isaac On Why He Did Not Take Knee or Wear BLM Shirt. Preaches Gospel Instead
(CBS Sports) Social Justice has been one of the most important elements of the NBA’s return, as players were committed to using their platform to enact positive change. The NBA has accommodated them, allowing players to wear social justice messages on their jerseys while also painting Black Lives Matter on the court. Throughout the first two days of games, every team that played knelt for the national anthem while wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt as a form of silent protest.
There was only one holdout. Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac neither knelt nor wore a Black Lives Matter shirt, instead standing for the anthem while wearing his jersey. He cited gospel as his explanation during his post-game media availability (via Taylor Rooks):
“I believe that Black Lives Matter. A lot went into my decision, and part of it is, I thought that kneeling or wearing the Black Lives Matter t-shirt doesn’t go hand-in-hand with supporting Black lives. So I felt like, just me personally, what is that I believe is taking on a stance that, I do believe that Black lives matter, but I just felt like it was a decision that I had to make, and I didn’t feel like putting that shirt on and kneeling went hand in hand with supporting Black lives. I believe that for myself, my life has been supported by gospel, Jesus Christ, and everyone is made in the image of God and that we all forge through God’s glory.
Each and every one of us do things that we shouldn’t do and say things that we shouldn’t say. We hate and dislike things that we shouldn’t hate and dislike, and sometimes it gets to a point where we point fingers, whose evil is worse, and sometimes it comes down to whose evil is most visible. So I felt like I wanted to take a stand on, we all make mistakes, but I think that the gospel of Jesus Christ is that there’s grace for us, and that Jesus came and died for our sins and that if we all come to an understanding of that and that God wants to have…
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Editor’s note. This article was written by Sam Quinn and originally published at CBS Sports, Title changed by Pulpit & Pen
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