Christian basketball player Jonathan Judah Issac recently launched a new shoe line under his clothing line, which he hopes will help his fellow Christians to “stand boldly for their faith.”
The shoes are a part of his clothing line UNITUS, which is already selling a variety of other sports-related clothing, including hoodies, gym shorts, and more. Issac, a player for the Orlando Magic basketball team, got the idea to make shoes from his pastor, which led him to create UNITUS with the intent to “give lovers of God and country a brand they can call their own.”
DEMOCRATS FORCED TO RUN THE TABLE ON INCUMBENTS TO KEEP NARROW SENATE MAJORITY
“I hope people will feel like they are a part of a unique moment in history and a move of God,” Issac told the Washington Examiner. “With this being the first NBA basketball sneaker with visible Bible verses, I hope it encourages believers to stand boldly for their faith in a culture that, in my opinion, has become increasingly hostile towards it. I hope a sense of pride develops where people are enthusiastic about having a brand that truly represents their values on and off the court.”
The shoe brand, Judah 1, will feature shoes coming in a variety of colors with their own Bible verses, including a blue set with 2 Corinthians 4:9, a verse about triumph, and an orange set with Proverbs 28:1, a verse about the Lion of Judah. For the latter, Issac explained that Judah is his middle name, and given that “Christ is the lion of the tribe of Judah,” he has “leaned on this verse every time I’ve been asked to speak, play, or take a stand.”
While these two variations of Judah 1 are the only ones currently available on the website, other variations are expected to be available soon, including ones with Exodus 3:14, John 14:26, and Romans 8:37.
UNITUS was launched in August 2023, roughly three years after Issac was the only NBA player not to kneel during the national anthem, a common practice among sports players during the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. UNITUS stated that Issac believed that black lives do matter, but also that he knew that Christ is “the only answer to the world’s pain and division,” which he further explained in his book Why I Stand.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“My last experiences with standing have taught me that I’m truly never alone,” Issac told the Washington Examiner. “All negativity has been drastically drowned out by the positivity from people who share the same values as I do. I’ve grown to understand everyone will not agree with me, and that’s OK. My family, my wife, my church family, and my pastor love me, and as long as I have God’s approval and love around me, I’ll be OK!”
In the future, Issac said he wants to continue to build UNITUS and the range of products that it offers, with one of his hopes being to sponsor Christian and Catholic universities in the future.
