Orlando Magic Forward Jonathan Isaac Explains Decision to Stand Alone for Anthem

Isaac said he doesn't feel standing or wearing a BLM shirt supports Black lives

Isaac anthem NBA
Jonathan Isaac of the Orlando Magic stands as others kneel before the start of a game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Orlando Magic on July 31, 2020.
Ashley Landis - Pool/Getty Images

Before the third game of the NBA bubble between the Orlando Magic and the Brooklyn Nets, Magic forward Jonathan Isaac was conspicuous both for not wearing the Black Lives Matter shirt and for being the only person standing during the national anthem, while everyone else took a knee. Ahead of the game, he explained the decision to stand, saying that he didn’t feel that “putting that shirt on and kneeling went hand-in-hand with supporting Black lives.”

As CNN reports, Isaac pointed to his devout faith for the explanation:

For me Black lives are supported through the gospel. All lives are supported through the gospel. We all have things that we do wrong and sometimes it gets to a place that we’re pointing fingers at who’s wrong is worst. Or who’s wrong is seen, so I feel like the Bible tells us that we all fall short of God’s glory. That will help bring us closer together and get past skin color. And get past anything that’s on the surface and doesn’t really get into the hearts or men and women.

Isaac was the first person in three games to not kneel; everyone took a knee before Thursday’s Jazz-Pelicans and Lakers-Clippers games. However, he was not alone on Friday; Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and assistant Becky Hammon both also stood. Popovich, an Air Force veteran, spoke to reporters after the game, saying he had his reasons for standing, just like players had their reasons to kneel:

The league is not enforcing its rule forcing everyone to stand for the anthem during what commissioner Adam Silver called “unique circumstances”:

I respect our teams’ unified act of peaceful protest for social justice and under these unique circumstances will not enforce our long-standing rule requiring standing during the playing of our national anthem.

Those circumstances include protests that have taken place across the world since the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police on May 25 of this year.

Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.

Read the full story at CNN

The InsideHook Newsletter.

News, advice and insights for the most interesting person in the room.