An NBA star is on a mission to spread the Gospel through athletic wear, launching a powerful brand that offers Christians high-quality, faith-honoring alternatives to sneakers and apparel.
Jonathan Isaac, an NBA player for the Orlando Magic, has been on a years-long journey he never anticipated. Isaac went viral in 2020 after opting to stand rather than kneel during the National Anthem — a shocking moment that came amid Black Lives Matter protests.
“The stand is simply about saying Christ is the answer,” he told The Christian Post, reflecting back on that time. “He’s the answer then, and He’s still the answer now.”
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Isaac said his bold move, which made media waves at the time, is just one example of the need for Christians to stand up and do something uncomfortable to defend the Gospel.
“There’s going to be moments where we, as Christians, are going to have to stand on the Word of God and say, ‘I see what the world is saying, but I’m going to choose what God is saying, regardless of the backlash, regardless of the … flack that I’ll get from it.’”
Isaac said he understood the frustrations over what happened to George Floyd, but contended that the answer is always going to be the “Gospel of Jesus Christ” — a truth he believes can “penetrate the hearts of men.”
”What changes us?” he asked. ”The Gospel. … It’s changed me, and that’s what I’ve kind of been resting on.”
During the next game after Isaac took his stand, something else happened that led him to create his apparel brand: a torn left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) that took him out of the game and cost him his Nike deal.
After Isaac healed, he decided to create his own sneaker rather than go back to Nike and renegotiate. That personal project sparked the launch of something much bigger than a show: UNITUS, Isaac’s faith-forward sneaker and apparel company.
The UNITUS origin story is one rooted in Isaac’s trust in God through a truly contentious time, particularly with the viral stand, the physical toll that came from his injury, and the Nike loss.
“Having a difficult situation, not knowing why God is taking me through this moment of tearing my ACL, having a really devastating — not just a physical, a painful injury — but a devastating injury to the career,” Isaac said. “A lot of guys don’t come back half of themselves when they go through something like that.”
But Isaac’s pastor encouraged him to start the groundwork that would eventually become UNITUS, resulting in the Judah 1, the first NBA sneaker to have physical Bible verses on it.
That quickly blossomed into a broader effort to create a sports apparel brand that helps people “stay connected to Christ and stay connected to each other.”
“We’ve seen tremendous support of people who get the vision,” Isaac said of UNITUS.
Isaac said he now understands how God was preparing him for the launch of UNITUS as he journeyed through physical and emotional trials and tribulations.
He hopes the Bible verses on the sneakers will provide useful and inspiring sports apparel that reminds believers of what matters most.
“It’s a reminder to me, I want to live in a way that honors God,” he said. “And then there’s obviously also the connection to other people that you see wearing the brand and just the brand being celebrated.”
Isaac’s story is deeply inspiring. You can check out UNITUS here.
