Jonathan Isaac of the Orlando Magic is promoting the next line of activewear from his shoe company, Unitus. Isaac spoke of how his brand came into existence after an injury during 2020 left him unable to play basketball. “Back in 2020, I was signed to Nike and ended up tearing my ACL in the Bubble. And fortunately, you know, you can’t play basketball. It’s hard to get a check from a shoe brand. And so Nike decided to drop me,” he told Outkick. His pastor suggested rather than waiting around for one of Nike’s competitors to sign him, that he should start his own brand. And, thus, Unitus, was born.

Isaac, a devout Christian who came into the public eye after he refused to kneel during the National anthem, decided to incorporate his faith in the line’s first shoe, the Judah 1, so-called for Isaac’s middle name. The show bears a reference to Romans 8:37, which states, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Speaking to Fox News Digital, Isaac shared the company’s motto. “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,” he said. “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 shared how getting to wear the shoes while he plays helps him to be a witness. “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.” With the brand’s new active wear coming out, that ability to express one’s faith is expanding, said Isaac. “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.” He told Outkick that he hoped that mobility of open faith would help form a community. “What’s great is that, in the Christian world, there already is a community, right? There’s a huge community of believers, and this, for me, at least, is a way to create touchpoints between them,” he said. “And so with the name ‘Unitus,’ it’s all about being able to connect to each other and stay connected to Christ.” Isaac’s ambitions don’t stop at just basketball apparel either. “So, the dream is to be able to get into every sport you know, to have a foundation in basketball, with the sneakers, but ultimately get to football and baseball and, you know, there’s Christians everywhere,” he said. “And so to be able to touch every part of society when it comes to sports and athletics, and even everyday clothes as well.” Unitus’s new line will be available for purchase next month.