Jonathan Isaac: 'This is what the media did to me that red-pilled me'



Orlando Magic player Jonathan Isaac hasn’t just faced challenges on the court the past few years — he's faced challenges from teammates, the media, and fans for his beliefs.

Isaac became one of many headlines during the BLM riots of 2020 for refusing to kneel with his teammates during the national anthem and then again when he refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I never felt comfortable with the tone and the rhetoric of the Black Lives Matter organization, and I didn’t want to co-sign their message by putting on their T-shirt, and also, I didn’t want to co-sign, you know, their message by kneeling,” Isaac tells Dave Rubin.

While he got a lot of pushback for his decision not to kneel, Isaac doesn’t regret it.

He also received a lot of pushback for his refusal to be vaccinated, which he has now had a lot of discussions with his teammates about.

“People were being crazy about COVID — all these weird things about why you should get a shot and incentivizing you to get a shot,” Isaac says, adding, “and then obviously you’re getting bullied if you even have any questions about it, natural immunity, all that stuff.”

“If you’re trying to get somebody to do something, threatening them is only going to make them more weary,” Isaac says.

Isaac recalls being tricked by Rolling Stone magazine, which revealed to him just how much propaganda the media pushes.

“Then Rolling Stone put out an article, it was something like ‘NBA’s Anti-Vaxxer Problem,’” which he says seemed to be a “good faith” interview before it was published.

“I’m telling them about, you know, why my decision not to get vaccinated, and then the article comes out and it’s like, ‘Jonathan Isaac waited for people to die, he put his trust in God,' all this different stuff.’”

“This is the first time that I had saw that there is a media bias, and, you know, people call it propaganda,” Isaac continues.

“It’s freaky, but it’s freeing too,” Isaac says, adding, “I have my moment of like, 'Okay, I know what all this means.'”


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How the NBA Used Fear to Control Players (Pt. 1) | Jonathan Isaac | POLITICS | Rubin Report

How the NBA Used Fear to Control Players (Pt. 1) | Jonathan Isaac | POLITICS | Rubin Report

NBA player Jonathan Isaac touts faith as the reason he stood during league-wide BLM protests: 'The love of Jesus Christ is what is ultimately going to heal this world'



Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac garnered widespread attention and scrutiny in 2020 when he chose to stand for the national anthem before games — even as every other member of his team knelt while wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts.

For Isaac, an outspoken Christian, to kneel would be to throw support behind a movement that could not ultimately heal the nation's growing racial divide, or any other fundamental human problem, for that matter. The only thing that can do that is the love of Jesus Christ as displayed in his death and resurrection.

That's the message Isaac has been sharing again this week ahead of the launch of his new book, "Why I Stand," published by Daily Wire Books.

In several promotional media appearances this week, Isaac has sought to encourage others to seek answers for their pain and source the strength to stand through the gospel message.

Speaking on Saturday at the ReAwaken America Tour, Isaac said recalled how his faith motivated him to take a different approach amid immense pressure to kneel in support of Black Lives Matter.

"Around the time, that George Floyd had tragically died ... I tried my best to see it in the right way," Isaac told the crowd at the conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. "I didn't view it as an African-American. I didn’t view it as a conservative. I didn’t view it as a liberal. I tried my best to combat the message from a Christian perspective. I tried to see it the way Christ would see it."

"What I didn’t want to do in that moment was join into a fight by kneeling for the National Anthem. Obviously, the fight between black and white, the fight between right and left, and everything that was going on. I wanted to view it in the way that Christ would," he continued.

Orlando Magic Player Jonathan Isaac said he didn\u2019t want to kneel because he \u201cdidn\u2019t view [the death of George Floyd] as an African-American\u201d and views kneeling as a \u201cfight \u2026between Black and white\u201d and \u201cright and left.\u201dpic.twitter.com/WUq3jWbKkY
— PatriotTakes \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@PatriotTakes \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1652566972

He went on to say: "Around that time, my pastor had preached a message. The message was about when Jesus was about to be taken by the Roman Guard, and Peter lunged forward and chopped off the man's ear, and Jesus stopped him, and he said, 'Those that live by the sword, will die by the sword.' And, ultimately that Jesus had a greater plan. So, I decided to stand. It wasn't entirely about the flag. 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.'"

The NBA player similarly told Fox News host Will Cain this week that "the love of Jesus Christ and the gospel" is the "greatest message and antidote" for the problems the world is facing.

Then, in an interview with the Daily Wire ahead of his book's release, Isaac explained that "to kneel and wear a Black Lives Matter T-shirt don't go hand in hand with the support of black lives."

What gives a man the strength to stand alone in the face of immense pressure?\n\n"Why I Stand" by @JJudahIsaac will be available TOMORROW! In the meantime, you can pre-order your copy here: https://amzn.to/3Li2oN3\u00a0pic.twitter.com/oioQzEZWKF
— DW Books (@DW Books) 1652712403

Isaac, who has also rankled many on the left over his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine, also articulated how his faith in Jesus has freed him to stand firm in the face of cultural pressure.

A summary of "Why I Stand" on Amazon describes the book as the telling of Isaac's "discovery that no matter your level of confidence today, God’s strength will develop in your weakness" and "that courage is found in trusting that God is greater than your fears."

In a statement responding to Isaac's most recent public comments, the Orlando Magic said, "Jonathan is a thoughtful young man with tremendous faith who has done great work in the community and is using his platform to express his voice."

WATCH: Media is left SPEECHLESS as NBA player gives PERFECT response to vaccine question



On "The Rubin Report" Tuesday, Dave Rubin shared clips of the sports media trying to grill NBA basketball players about why some of them haven't gotten the COVID-19 vaccine. Jonathan Isaac of the Orlando Magic and Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards silenced the media with their perfect responses.

Disclaimer: The content of this clip does not provide medical advice. Please seek the advice of local health officials for any COVID-19 and/or COVID vaccine related questions & concerns.

Watch the video below to hear what they had to say:


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