Jonathan Isaac on Staying ‘Grounded’ in His Faith Ahead of Return from Injury
By Movieguide® Staff
Orlando Magic star Jonathan Isaac hasn’t played a game of NBA basketball since tearing his ACL in August of 2020.
However, in an interview with Kirk Cameron, Isaac said that fans won’t have to wait much longer to see him back out on the court.
“I am doing really well, I feel really strong. I’m on the court every day preparing and looking forward to coming back this season,” Isaac told Cameron on the TAKEAWAYS show.
Isaac used his time away from the court to write a best-selling book called ‘Why I Stand,’ where the 25-year-old shares why he stands up for his faith in God and the Bible.
“I would say it’s difficult just literally from a practical sense,” Isaac said of being a Christian in the NBA. “NBA players that are around great wealth, at the end of the day you have access to excess.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s particularly difficult because of the people that are in the NBA, but it really just is a hard lifestyle to master when it comes to you know trying your best to live for Christ,” he added.
Despite those difficulties, Isaac said that his favorite part about being in the NBA is the places he gets to go and the people he gets to interact with on a daily basis.
“NBA players we get to touch shoulders with every day and see from different teams and even my own teammates but you know people do see you as this larger-than-life figure. I have their ear and honestly you have their spirit because they really do want to hear from you,” he explained. “Any words that you say, they’ll really latch on to so I try my best to take that seriously and offer words of encouragement and faith to everyone.”
Isaac said that he stays grounded through fellowship with his family and church family.
“I know where my altar is,” he said. “What I mean by that is my home church here in Orlando, J.U.M.P. Ministries Global Church. I know where that is, I know where I can go pray, I know where I can go see God when I’m home.”
“Then just having the right people around me when I’m on the road,” he continued. “I’m checking in with my wife, I’m checking in with my pastor. Having that church family there waiting for me is just always an encouragement, helps me to stay grounded.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Isaac’s book, ‘Why I Stand’:
Nearly two years ago, on July 31, 2020, Jonathan Isaac became the first NBA player to stand for the national anthem while teammates and peers around the league knelt.
Isaac recently published his first book called Why I Stand, which explains why he chose to abstain from wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt and kneel with the rest of the league.
In the book, Isaac explains that he could not find the answer to life’s many hardships when he looked to the world.
“I believe that Jesus Christ is the answer because he’s been the answer for me and I’m able to put it into a book and share my story and my testimony,” Isaac told The Christian Post. “To me, that gives ‘the stand’ its backbone.”
- Content: +3Share:
- Content: +1