Latest news with #UNITUS
Fox News
15 hours ago
- Business
- Fox News
Magic's Jonathan Isaac details faith-based apparel line's origins and how he handles negative feedback
While many past and present NBA players are under contract with a major athletic footwear and sports apparel conglomerate, Jonathan Isaac wears his own brand when he steps on the basketball court. The Orlando Magic forward founded UNITUS, a faith-forward apparel brand. According to the company's official website, the brand goes beyond producing premium Christian clothing and footwear, it is "a global movement for positive change." "We believe Jesus offers our world a better way, and we boldly stand for our faith in Him. Our mission is to inspire and empower people to live in greater unity, freedom, strength, and purpose." "From its inception it's just been a vision of connecting people to Christ and each other… for it to be a real touchpoint for believers. To have something we are confident in (and) feel great about." Isaac cautioned that the company always tries to avoid forcing its values and beliefs on others. "We are not pushing that onto other people, it's more of an internal thing," he told Fox News Digital. "A big part about us is… you're wearing the Scripture on your shoes, on your clothes for you, to remind you of the bigger picture. And then to take that out (into) the world. Being able to take the word of God with me on the court when I'm wearing my basketball sneakers, it's the same thing… it's for me internally and at the same time, I get to use it as a witness in front of everybody else. It's just a medium to do that." Isaac admitted he ended up being "forced" into launching his own sneaker line. "I was signed to Nike back in 2020 and unfortunately, I got injured… I tore my ACL," Isaac told Fox News Digital. "Nike had made the decision not to resign me. While I'm going through my rehab process… I actually went and spoke to my pastor… and he told me 'Why don't you just make your own sneaker?'" Isaac's pastor then challenged him to be at the forefront for active NBA players in the independent sneaker line space. The 27-year-old said creating his own brand gave him creative autonomy. "With that freedom to make my own sneaker I could make it completely unique to myself. (I wanted to make) a shoe that demonstrates faith, demonstrates what's important to me. My middle name is Judah so we (call it) the Judah 1. And every shoe has a visible Bible verse on the outside, and that's how it started. And it went from that… to an entire brand set around that same sentiment of being able to take the word of God with you everywhere you go." Isaac has not shied away from speaking out about his beliefs. However, doing so can often result in backlash. Isaac said he does his best to filter out the negativity. "The biggest thing for me is spending as little time as I can on social media, especially on X. It gets crazy over there. But, it's tough (because) sports and a couple of other professions, nobody else in their regular life has as much feedback as we do because we're playing live, and now you've got the parlays and now you've got all that other stuff going on. "Once you play, you've got 50 (direct messages) of people saying 'Oh you messed up this' or 'You did great' or 'You didn't do great.' It's tough to deal with just as a regular human being. People forget that, people forget you're human, people forget you've got issues (and) you got through stuff just like everybody else." Isaac appeared in 71 games in the 2024-25 NBA season. Beginning in early June, customers will be able to purchase UNITUS' new activewear line. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox News
a day ago
- Business
- Fox News
Magic's Jonathan Isaac details faith-based apparel line's origins and how it handles negative feedback
While many past and present NBA players are under contract with a major athletic footwear and sports apparel conglomerate, Jonathan Isaac wears his own brand when he steps on the basketball court. The Orlando Magic forward founded UNITUS, a faith-forward apparel brand. According to the company's official website, the brand goes beyond producing premium Christian clothing and footwear, it is "a global movement for positive change." "We believe Jesus offers our world a better way, and we boldly stand for our faith in Him. Our mission is to inspire and empower people to live in greater unity, freedom, strength, and purpose." "From its inception it's just been a vision of connecting people to Christ and each other… for it to be a real touchpoint for believers. To have something we are confident in (and) feel great about." Isaac cautioned that the company always tries to avoid forcing its values and beliefs on others. "We are not pushing that onto other people, it's more of an internal thing," he told Fox News Digital. "A big part about us is… you're wearing the Scripture on your shoes, on your clothes for you, to remind you of the bigger picture. And then to take that out (into) the world. Being able to take the word of God with me on the court when I'm wearing my basketball sneakers, it's the same thing… it's for me internally and at the same time, I get to use it as a witness in front of everybody else. It's just a medium to do that." Isaac admitted he ended up being "forced" into launching his own sneaker line. "I was signed to Nike back in 2020 and unfortunately, I got injured… I tore my ACL," Isaac told Fox News Digital. "Nike had made the decision not to resign me. While I'm going through my rehab process… I actually went and spoke to my pastor… and he told me 'Why don't you just make your own sneaker?'" Isaac's pastor then challenged him to be at the forefront for active NBA players in the independent sneaker line space. The 27-year-old said creating his own brand gave him creative autonomy. "With that freedom to make my own sneaker I could make it completely unique to myself. (I wanted to make) a shoe that demonstrates faith, demonstrates what's important to me. My middle name is Judah so we (call it) the Judah 1. And every shoe has a visible Bible verse on the outside, and that's how it started. And it went from that… to an entire brand set around that same sentiment of being able to take the word of God with you everywhere you go." Isaac has not shied away from speaking out about his beliefs. However, doing so can often result in backlash. Isaac said he does his best to filter out the negativity. "The biggest thing for me is spending as little time as I can on social media, especially on X. It gets crazy over there. But, it's tough (because) sports and a couple of other professions, nobody else in their regular life has as much feedback as we do because we're playing live, and now you've got the parlays and now you've got all that other stuff going on. "Once you play, you've got 50 (direct messages) of people saying 'Oh you messed up this' or 'You did great' or 'You didn't do great.' It's tough to deal with just as a regular human being. People forget that, people forget you're human, people forget you've got issues (and) you got through stuff just like everybody else." Isaac appeared in 71 games in the 2024-25 NBA season. Beginning in early June, customers will be able to purchase UNITUS' new activewear line. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
'Men don't belong in women's sports,' NBA star believes amid debate over transgender athletes
The inclusion of transgender athletes has been hotly debated in the sports world and beyond. NBA star Jonathan Isaac has previously shared his thoughts on the topic. Last year, the Orlando Magic forward appeared to take particular issue with the White House's commemoration of "Transgender Day of Visibility." Events at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue took place on March 31, the same day as 2024 Easter Sunday. Isaac has a faith-based sports apparel and shoe line called "UNITUS" and he often pubically discusses his Christian conviction. "They want you to hate! This helps no one and only promotes division," he wrote. "They know exactly what they are doing.. we should be angry but shouldn't lose the spirit of what tomorrow means! Don't lose focus. Because He is risen there is hope for all." In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Isaac further explained his stance on transgender athletes' eligibility in girls' and women's sports. "It's just a tough situation. There's an ethic… there's something that I believe is true. I believe that men and women are different. I believe that men do not belong in women's sports, that's a fundamental belief I hold. For reasons, one I'm a guy and I can understand the difference and the advantages that we have," Isaac said. "But at the same time there is a reality of the situation… there are people who are not in sports who are transgender (who) are trying to live their life the best way they know how. And they have this feeling of what they believe is right and who else is to say they are wrong in some sense." Isaac acknowledged the humanity of the complex situation, but said his belief in the fundamental differences between men and women ultimately prompted him to draw a line in the sand. "But where I stake my flag is, I believe that in order to cater to the feelings of this group, I would have to trample on the feelings of women to get there. And that's where I say, 'OK, that's where I believe this is wrong' and I would be willing to put my voice to it. I understand the humanity of the situation. I feel for the humanity of the situation. But at the end of the day, I believe it's right to stand on the truth of men and women are different. And I wouldn't want my daughter to have to compete against a transgender athlete (who) has gone through puberty or has testosterone." Isaac shares two daughters with his wife. Shortly after President Donald Trump's second term began, he signed an executive order effectively banning transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports. The executive order, "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports," was based on Title IX, part of a civil rights law passed in 1972 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs. The order instructed the Department of Education to investigate academic institutions that failed to comply. If a school is deemed to be in noncompliance, federal funds could be withdrawn. Elsewhere, the International Olympic Committee has decided to allow global federations that govern a variety of sports to create their respective eligibility rules. Under Trump's executive order, the State Department is instructed to demand changes within the committee. The NCAA reacted to the executive order by introducing a sweeping new policy. The organization's updated participation policy, which was announced in February, stated that only "student-athletes assigned female at birth" will be allowed to take part in intercollegiate athletic competitions. The latest policy does permit "student-athletes assigned male at birth to practice with women's teams and receive benefits like medical care." However, those athletes are banned from any NCAA-sanctioned competitions. In December 2024, NCAA President Charlie Baker told a Senate committee there were "less than 10" transgender college student athletes he was aware of at the time. Baker, who was the Republican governor of Massachusetts from 2015-2023, also confirmed that there are roughly "five hundred and ten thousand" athletes enrolled in more than 1,000 colleges and universities across all 50 states that the NCAA oversees. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
NBA star Jonathan Isaac weighs in on Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry
The rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese continues to ignite the sports world. Clark committed a flagrant foul against Reese earlier this month during the Indiana Fever's first 2025 matchup with the Chicago Sky. The on-court feud between the two basketball stars dates back to their time at the college basketball level. Over the past couple of years, countless sports figures have debated whether the rivalry is beneficial. Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac said he ultimately believes it helps bring attention to women's basketball. "I think it's truly great for basketball. Obviously, the reason it's being pitted like this is because it's great for TV. It sells tickets," Isaac told Fox News Digital on behalf of his Christian apparel brand UNITUS. According to the company's official website, UNITUS' mission "is to inspire and empower people to live in greater unity, freedom, strength, and purpose." Isaac acknowledged the outside factors that are often associated with the Clark-Reese rivalry, but he said it all boils down to what takes place on the basketball court. "Some things I do think get out of hand with some of the commentary on the white vs. the black. I understand there's nuance to that and there's a reality to that as well. But, I think at the basic level it's basketball and rivalries are good for basketball. I think it's been amazing for women's sports. Because of the rivalry, because of Angel Reese, because of Caitlin Clark… [there's been an uptick in the] interest in women's basketball that wasn't completely there before. I'm happy for that. I want to see it play out. I want to see them continue to grow their careers and be the best female basketball players they can be." Reese set the WNBA record for consecutive games with a double-double last season. Clark received WNBA rookie of the year honors last season after averaging 19.2 per contest and appearing in all 40 regular season games. The Fever's game against the Washington Mystics on Wednesday marked the first time in Clark's WNBA that she was listed as inactive. Clark watched the Fever's 83-77 loss from the bench. She is expected to miss the next two weeks due to a left quadriceps strain, the team said. Isaac is familiar with overcoming injuries. He tore his left ACL in Aug. 2020. In March 2023, he had surgery to repair a torn left adductor muscle. He was then forced to sit out for the remainder of 2022-23 season. Isaac was ultimately able to bounce back and appeared in 71 games this past season. Isaac said he's dealt with an onslaught of injuries throughout his NBA career. "The ACL injury was supposed to be a one-year (setback). But one, I had complications. Once everything got patched up, for some reason my hamstring… there's a muscle called the biceps femoris and I tore that and for some reason my hamstring wasn't getting stronger, but my knee was and my quad was. And then in the midst of that I tore my right hamstring while I was sprinting, because I was overcompensating. I came back to the league for 11 games and then tore my groin. Isaac credited his faith, family, and support system for helping get past the string of injuries. "(I) was able to get through it. My faith is a huge part of that, the people I have around me… my wife, my church family, just everyone encouraging me to just stick with it. And this past season I was able to play in 70 games." Isaac, who famously stood for the national anthem while his other colleagues knelt before a game in the bubble in 2020, reportedly agreed to a contract extension in July 2024. Isaac and the Magic agreed to a five-year, $84 million contract extension, ESPN reported at the time. The deal ties the forward with the Magic through the 2028-29 season. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox News
06-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Fox News
Honoring God With Every Step
NBA player for the Orlando Magic and founder of UNITUS, Jonathan Isaac, is using his Christian apparel brand to share his love of God. Throughout his successful career, Jonathan has acknowledged that while he loves the game of basketball his true identity is in Christ. He also shares how God helped bring his idea of the shoe brand, UNITUS to fruition. Emphasizing that the product speaks to something specific in the marketplace at a time when people want to purchase from an organization they morally support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
