{"id":496,"date":"2023-08-04T03:29:14","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T03:29:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/04\/jonathan-isaac-nba-star-organizes-event-in-support-of-unitus-an-anti-woke-brand\/"},"modified":"2023-08-04T03:29:14","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T03:29:14","slug":"jonathan-isaac-nba-star-organizes-event-in-support-of-unitus-an-anti-woke-brand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/04\/jonathan-isaac-nba-star-organizes-event-in-support-of-unitus-an-anti-woke-brand\/","title":{"rendered":"Jonathan Isaac, NBA Star, Organizes Event in Support of UNITUS, an Anti-Woke Brand"},"content":{"rendered":"


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NBA star Jonathan Isaac at the UNITAS launch in Orlando, Florida, on July 29, 2023.<\/span> | UNITAS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 NBA star Jonathan Isaac hosted an event celebrating the launch of his new “anti-woke” apparel brand so people can have a brand to support that aligns with their values.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Isaac, an Orlando Magic forward who’s also an ordained Christian minister, made headlines in 2020 for refusing to kneel during the National Anthem alongside his teammates who were wearing jerseys supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The media firestorm brought him national attention, and now he is capitalizing on his stance by launching UNITUS,<\/a> a high-quality apparel line.<\/p>\n

During a Q&A at the UNITUS launch Saturday night, Isaac revealed that his pastor, Bishop Durone E. Hepburn of J.U.M.P. Ministries<\/a> Global Church, inspired the idea for the brand.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOne day, we were talking about what it would look like to start a values-based sports and apparel company,\u201d Isaac shared in the room full of guests that included athletes, influencers, journalists, pastors, musicians and business executives.<\/p>\n

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Singer Tauren Wells performs at the UNITAS launch in Orlando, Florida, on July 29, 2023.<\/span> | UNITAS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cHe actually said to me, ‘Why don’t you create your own sneaker? So I started to go down the road of what that would look like, and I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isaac said he “started working on what a shoe could possibly look like, and then it blossomed into this idea of why not start an entire sports and apparel company and give people the freedom to buy with their values.”<\/p>\n

The New York native said he also fell in love with the name UNITUS, which was also suggested by his pastor, adding that “the name sounds like a transformer.”<\/p>\n

“I loved it. I loved the ingenuity. I love the idea of all of us coming together around values, around things that unite us and pushing back against everything that’s happening in our world today,\u201d he noted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Judah sneakers on display at the UNITAS launch in Orlando, Florida, on July 29, 2023.<\/span> | UNITAS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Isaac made it clear that he wants his brand to celebrate faith, freedom and American values.
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Grammy-nominated artist Tauren Wells was invited to kick off the night\u2019s event in song and during his set, Wells shared why he’s supporting Isaac’s apparel brand.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI just love identifying people who are willing to not just talk about the things that they value but to actually act upon them,\u201d the \u201cHills and Valleys\u201d singer shared with the audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I was thinking about Jonathan, and he reminds me of a modern-day Daniel. The amazing thing about Daniel was, he was talented; he was intellectual, he was gifted, and all of those things attributed to his success. But the Bible gives a defining quality for Daniel: It says that it was because of his excellent spirit that he was actually promoted above priests and presidents.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wells, who is gearing up to plant his own church in Georgetown, Texas, in January 2024, went on to say that Isaac is someone who truly lives out what he believes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“What is so exceptional about Jonathan is not just what he does, but how he does it. I think that should be said of every believer, everyone who carries the name of Jesus. It’s not just about how loud we can shout our convictions. It’s about how much action we actually place around them,\u201d Wells maintained.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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All-American swimmer Riley Gaines Barker at the UNITAS launch in Orlando, Florida, on July 29, 2023. <\/span> | UNITAS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All-American swimmer Riley Gaines Barker, was also in attendance at the event. During a behind-the-stage interview, which streamed on the big screen at the event, the athlete also shared her support for Isaac.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gaines Barker made headlines in recent years as well for openly opposing<\/a> biological men competing in women\u2019s sports. The swimmer began gaining media attention after she tied with Lia (Will) Thomas, the biological male swimmer who identifies as female, in a 200-yard freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Women\u2019s Championships.<\/p>\n

“People are looking to put their money elsewhere. We see the direction Nike is going, we see all these corporations such as Bud Light, and Target and Tampax, and all these companies, we see what they’re doing,” Gaines Barker shared.<\/p>\n

“People are fed up but we don’t feel like we have an alternative, especially when it comes to athletic wear or streetwear, but now we do!\u201d<\/p>\n

The swimmer was referring to the fact that companies such as Target, Bud Light and Disney, among other brands, have adopted a \u201cwoke\u201d approach to social issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPutting my money where it matches my values is important and I know the general public feels this way, and so this will be huge,\u201d she added. “I’m so excited for Jonathan. I’m so proud of him and the stand he’s taken, and ultimately just standing for the truth, and standing for common sense and so I’m thrilled to be here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

UNITUS promotes \u201cTrue Greatness\u201d on most of its merchandise, Isaac declared, adding that he believed that \u201ctrue greatness is found in none other than Jesus Christ.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The star-studded event also featured a fashion show and ended with a grand fireworks show.<\/p>\n