Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac has a new book out detailing his decision to stand for the national anthem amid an NBA-wide demonstration supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
In the wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020, Isaac’s teammates knelt and wore Black Lives Matter T-shirts, while Isaac, who is a Christian, chose to stand alone. In his book Why I Stand, Isaac explained he wanted to bring change in a way that resonated with his faith.
“What happened to George Floyd was obviously tragic,” Isaac told Fox & Friends on Monday. “What’s happening to our country and our world is obviously tragic. I tried my best to ask myself what was the best way for me to respond in a way that could bring change. I looked inside myself and said, ‘The love of Jesus Christ and the gospel is what has changed my life, and I can’t see a greater message or antidote for the times that we see than that message.”
<mediadc-iframe data-state="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"00000161-3486-d333-a9e9-76c6fbf30000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b93390000"},"cms.content.publishDate":1652785896692,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"0000017d-8cce-d87c-af7f-ddce9ca80000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"cms.content.updateDate":1652785896692,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"0000017d-8cce-d87c-af7f-ddce9ca80000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"title":"Jonathan Isaac discusses new book on Fox & Friends, May 16, 2022.","iFrameEmbedCode":"
","_id":"00000180-d1b6-d4c7-a9ad-fdf7eb7b0000","_type":"00000161-b425-d761-a563-f7e77e270000"}”>Jonathan Isaac discusses new book on Fox & Friends, May 16, 2022.“I decided to stand and say that and remind people that we all fall short of God’s glory. We’re all wrong in almost every single way. We all are in need of a savior,” Isaac continued. “If we could choose to forgive the way God forgives us, which is in spite of our faults and differences, that we could see real change.”
In Why I Stand, Isaac wrote that he fully expected criticism of his choice not to kneel for the national anthem.
“I dared to defy someone else’s symbolism. I knew some of my teammates would cringe at my stance,” Isaac wrote. “I knew others would question my character, my motives. And I knew from that moment on, people would begin to define me based on the stand — without the story.”
Speaking at the ReAwaken America Tour in South Carolina on Saturday, Isaac said his decision to stand for the national anthem was not about race, political affiliation, or the flag.
“It wasn’t entirely about the flag,” Isaac said. “It was just that moment of saying, ‘I believe that the love of Jesus Christ is what is ultimately going to heal this world because it is what has healed me.’”
Isaac, who has been sidelined with an ACL injury, also gained national attention for his decision not to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I don’t see the wisdom in putting something into my body that’s not going to stop me from getting the virus or transmitting it,” Isaac told the ReAwaken America Tour audience. “That is why I decided to be the only player on my team to not get vaccinated.”
In a statement, the Orlando Magic called Isaac a “thoughtful young man with tremendous faith who has done great work in the community and is using his platform to express his voice.”
Why I Stand was published by Daily Wire Books and was released on Tuesday.
