Thomas Griffin 6/12/23
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Back in 2020 I wrote a piece for The Federalist on Jonathan Isaac, a forward for the Orlando Magic, who refused to wear Black Lives Matter warm-up shirts and he refused to kneel for the National Anthem. Isaac continues to lead against the insanity of the culture with his newest move to launch his own clothing line in response to the anti-Christian agenda that continues to emerge in America.
Isaac’s jump into fighting for Christian, conservative and traditional values began when his entire NBA team decided to kneel during the national anthem at a game on July 31, 2020. He was the first NBA player to do so. Ever since then, he has continued to stand for what he holds to be true and even wrote a book in 2022 entitled, Why I Stand.
Isaac took to social media to explain the move to create his own clothing company. “Retail brands have the freedom to go woke. We have the freedom to create an alternative,” he noted in a post on Twitter that included a promo video for his new line of clothes. The brand will be called UNITUS and is launching in August 2023.
Jonathan said that “UNITUS is a sports and apparel brand and the basis of it, for me, is freedom.” Along with Isaac’s leaning on and promotion of his Christian faith, it is freedom that has remained the consistent theme to his words and actions over the past few years. He wants to create a space where his values can be seen because he knows there are millions of other people that agree with them. This is why Isaac explains that his desire to create this new brand can be seen in the name given to it: UNITUS.
He wants to “bring people together over love of God and love of country.” While the media, and countless other forces, move to defame America and our nation’s foundational values there are so many who love this country and want to see it flourish again. His hope is that, in some way, this clothing line can provide hope for the average American who wants to see this happen.
“You have companies in this field who have chosen to attack or undermine Christian values…and I think they have the choice to do so, as much as I disagree,” he continues. However, “we also have the freedom to create what we want to create.”
So many critics of Judaeo-Christian values claim that these beliefs are held in hatred towards those that a faithful individual disagrees with. Isaac shows, calmly and cogently, that nothing could be further from the truth. He simply desires to provide a platform and a resource for people who know that God is real and that He is needed in our lives.
Jonathan also said that he wants to give parents the opportunity to buy clothes and shoes for their kids while knowing that they are purchasing it from a company that is going to bolster their values. I can’t help but think that with the spectacle of transgenderism being promoted through the largest companies in America, there is no doubt that families across the nation will utilize UNITUS. Many are moving to boycott Disney, Bud Light, Target and the Dodgers while many others are searching for brands that support the truth about the human person. Stepping away from our support of companies that attack truth outright is good, but building up companies that promote Christian values is arguably even more important. UNITUS is a great starting point.
The forward for the Magic also said, “We can be proud of who we believe in. We do not need to hide or be ashamed of it.” Searching through his comments and social media posts reveals that his motivation for standing up for the truth and for his values has its roots in his relationship with Christ as a real living person. He is not promoting an agenda or a political party. Isaac is showing the world what it looks like to live out one’s Christian faith.
Isaac’s remarks are best summarized by his following words towards the end of his promotional video: “As things continue to get darker and darker, crazier and crazier – you standing up for what you believe in is only going to become harder but will become even more necessary.”
Jonathan Isaac continues to stand for truth and it looks like UNITUS will as well. Let’s stand with him as he leads the way in the world of sports for championing Christ and the truth.
Thomas Griffin is the chairperson of the religion department at a Catholic high school on Long Island where he lives with his wife and two sons. He has a masters degree in theology and is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Empty Tomb Project: The Magazine.
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