WASHINGTON — NBA veteran Jonathan Isaac is calling on Christians and young athletes to boldly embrace their faith, even when it puts them in conflict with the world, as his own stand for Christ took center stage this week at the unveiling of the Museum of the Bible’s newest addition.
On Tuesday evening, the 27-year-old Orlando Magic forward unveiled a signed pair of Judah 1 sneakers produced by his apparel brand UNITUS, which are being displayed as part of the museum’s “Impact of the Bible” exhibit. The exhibit highlights how God’s word has influenced art, education, architecture and other aspects of life.
Isaac, who has played in six seasons for the Magic and sat out two due to a severe knee injury, launched UNITUS in 2023 as an “anti-woke” brand to give Christians an alternative that supports their values after Nike dropped him due to injury.
Now, he is using that brand to encourage his fellow Christians to “stand boldly” for God and remain “unapologetic” about their faith in Him.
“It’s also about loving people well. It’s not about just trying to, you know, shove God down everybody’s throat,” Isaac told The Christian Post.
“It’s about just being authentically you, being gracious, loving other people. But when the moment comes that you are at odds with the culture or what other people think, I think we have a responsibility to stand with Christ,” he argued. “And I’ve seen that God will not let you go.”
While many athletes represent their religious beliefs during interviews, the display states that the “the Judah 1 shoe was the first NBA shoe to be worn with Scripture manufactured visibly on it.”
The shoes on display reference Proverbs 28:1, which states: “The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” Several markings on the shoe resemble a lion’s head and mane, a reference to the Lion of Judah.
The former Florida State University standout said it’s an honor to be included in the museum’s second-floor exhibit.
“It’s so much wrapped into one,” the father of two told CP. “It’s legacy, it’s the goodness of God.”
“You know, if Jesus doesn’t come back anytime soon, then my kids and my kids’ kids will always be able to come to the Museum of the Bible and remember their grandpa, great grandpa, and say, ‘Hey, our grandpa did something for the honor and the glory of God, not for himself, and that’s why it’s in the Museum of the Bible.'”
The athlete hopes UNITUS continues to expand and one day starts putting Bible verses on cleats and other sports shoes. Ever since UNITUS started selling the Judah 1 shoes in 2023, young athletes have reached out to him to say that the Bible verses on the shoes have given them strength during games.
“I think about how God has to be pleased,” Isaac told CP. “You know, I heard a great saying from somebody. They said, ‘You didn’t do everything right, but you also didn’t do everything wrong either.”
“And this is something right: Putting God on shoes. Putting His word and it being on display in the Museum of the Bible, as an NBA basketball player, is something good,” he added. “And so I’m grateful for that.”
In 2020, Isaac went viral amid the Black Lives Matter protests after he remained standing during the playing of the National Anthem before a game instead of taking a knee as other players did. Isaac has previously stated that he understands the frustration over what happened to George Floyd — who was killed in police custody on Memorial Day 2020, which sparked nationwide protests — and believes that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is always the answer.
After suffering a torn left anterior cruciate ligament in August 2020 that resulted in the Nike athletic brand declining to re-sign the athlete, Isaac followed the advice of his pastor and agent when he launched UNITUS.
“I can’t tell Nike to put Bible verses on my shoes, you know. So, having full ownership and the ability to be authentic to myself has been amazing,” he told CP.
Isaac described the feeling of standing at the free-throw line, looking down at the Judah 1 shoes on his feet, and finding strength by reciting the Bible verse included in the product’s design.
“We’re trying to build something and unite people across lines, across anything that separates us, and just come together, loving one God and using footwear and apparel to stitch us together,” he said.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
