Basketball

Magic's Jonathan Isaac launches UNITUS clothing brand, gives 'glory and honor to Jesus'

By Joshua Doering Aug 1, 2023
Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac, Feb, 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac has been quite busy even though injuries have sidelined him for a vast majority of the past three seasons. His bestselling book “Why I Stand” came out last year, and on Saturday he officially launched a clothing brand at an event in Orlando.

Called UNITUS, it is a leisure and sportswear brand inspired by Issac’s strong faith in God. He was interviewed as part of the launch event and began his remarks by giving glory to the Lord.

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“I’m just so excited,” he said. “I really am. I do see this as something that is bigger than me, bigger than all of us, and so for that I have to give glory and honor to Jesus Christ for who I am today and how this journey of following Him has blossomed into what we see today.”

The event featured a performance from Christian artist Tauren Wells and a fashion show displaying the UNITUS launch collection.

Isaac explained at the event that the UNITUS logo was based on the Ark of the Covenant, and announced he would be debuting the “Judah I” shoe during the upcoming NBA season. The sneaker will have five colorways — unconquered, ruah (the Hebrew word for spirit), triumph, exodus and lion of Judah — with a Bible verse tied to each of them.

The brand’s motto is “true greatness,” and Isaac pointed back to God while talking about what the phrase represents.

“We know that true greatness is found in none other than Jesus Christ,” he said Saturday. “That is what makes us truly great, and so we can step into the world as we are with boldness and confidence and say, ‘I am truly great. I don’t need to measure myself by worldly standards.'”

Isaac tore his ACL during the NBA bubble games in 2020 and spent the next two seasons recovering from the injury. He made his long-awaited return on Jan. 23 after 904 days of rehab.

The 25-year-old appeared in 11 games for the Magic before a torn adductor muscle ended his 2023 season. He averaged 5.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 11.3 minutes per game.

In July 2022, Isaac joined the Sports Spectrum Podcast to talk about the ACL injury and the ways he grew spiritually as he worked for so long to get back on the court.

“From a pure basketball player’s perspective, the game is in my blood,” he said on the podcast. “I love basketball for everything that it is and everything that it has afforded me. I love the game. I’ve always loved it, so to be way from it or have to be on the sidelines and watch other people play it is absolutely tough.”

“Why I Stand” was written during Isaac’s recovery. In it, he shares his testimony and explains how his faith influenced his decision to stand during the national anthem in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.

His hope is that the book brings people to Christ after learning about what God has done in his life.

“I was living my NBA life doing my own thing,” he said on the podcast. “God came and found me. Why? Because He loves me, and He desires to be in a relationship with me, to make me better. So, I want people to gravitate towards finding out what a relationship with Christ is like and really diving into it.”

Isaac said Saturday that he will be ready for the start of the 2023-24 NBA season. The Magic’s first preseason game is against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 17.

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