Chai Brady
Jonathan Isaac stands
alone amongst some
of his team-mates as
they ‘take the knee’
during the US national anthem prior to a National Association
of Basketball game.
The gesture is part of
the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement’s more public demonstrations.
Photo: AP Photo/Ashley Landis An NBA (National Association of Basketball) player in the US has said that the Bible “will help bring us close together and get past skin colour”. The Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac, who is black, was the first NBA player to stand for the national anthem after the league was postponed for 20 weeks due to the coronavirus.
All other players had chosen to kneel as a sign of support for black lives, with many of them wearing ‘Black Lives Matter’ t-shirts, a movement which snowballed after the killing of George Floyd by police in May this year.
Mr Isaac said he didn’t feel wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt “and kneeling went hand-in-hand with supporting black lives”.
He told CNN: “For me black lives are supported through the Gospel. All lives are supported through the Gospel.
“We all have things that we do wrong and sometimes it gets to a place that we’re pointing fingers at whose wrong is worst or whose wrong is seen, so I feel like the Bible tells us that we all fall short of God’s glory.
“That will help bring us closer together and get past skin colour. And get past anything that’s on the surface and doesn’t really get into the hearts of men and women.”