Jonathan Isaac drew many eyes this past week when, unlike the rest of his team (and the NBA, for that matter), he decided it was a bad idea to kneel for the national anthem.
According to him, the decision not to take part in the protests had to do with his belief that it wasn’t the solution to hate or racism. He pointed to Jesus for that.
Magic forward Johnathan Isaac’s opening quotes pic.twitter.com/C5VL195NUc
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 31, 2020
Of course, Isaac’s stance was highly controversial and although the Orlando Magic organization had his back, many were disappointed or even angry that he chose not to participate in the BLM protest.
Interestingly enough, however, his jersey sales have gone through the roof. Since standing his ground during the Magic’s first seeding game in Orlando, Isaac’s jersey has vaulted to become the league’s second-highest seller, behind LeBron’s #23. Stock is also nearly completely run out.
It seems Isaac’s views have earned him quite a lot of fans and just goes to show that not everybody feels the same way about these protests. As peaceful as they may be, what are they really doing besides drawing more attention to the issue?
Indeed, the message of racial equality and social justice is something everybody should agree on. But how to go about instilling those values in our communities is something else entirely.
Isaac’s solution may be controversial, but it doesn’t mean it’s wrong…
