First NBA Player to Stand for National Anthem Goes Down With ACL Injury

Jonathan Isaac #1 of the Orlando Magic stands as others kneel before the start of a game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Orlando Magic on July 31, 2020. (Ashley Landis - Pool/Getty Images)

Orlando Magic forward Johnathan Isaac, who notably did not kneel during the national anthem, tore his ACL several days later on Sunday night.

Isaac suffered a tear in his right knee, likely ending his season, while the Magic played the Sacramento Kings.

He was seen being carted off the floor in a wheelchair in the fourth quarter.

“My whole heart goes out to him,” Magic player Aaron Gordon said after the game. “He’s such a great guy, such a great person. I hope it’s just something that kind of shocked him. But it was sad, man. It brought tears to my eyes.”

Last week, Isaac made headlines when he refused to kneel during the playing of the national anthem. Photos showed him standing while other players wore “Black Lives Matter” shirts and took knees.

Jonathan Isaac #1 of the Orlando Magic reacts after an injury against the Sacramento Kings during an NBA game at the HP Field House arena in Osceola County, Fla., on Aug. 2, 2020. (Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images)

Isaac explained why he wouldn’t kneel, saying it’s because of his faith.

“I believe that Black Lives Matter,” he said, according to CBS Sports. “A lot went into my decision, and part of it is, I thought that kneeling or wearing the Black Lives Matter t-shirt doesn’t go hand-in-hand with supporting black lives.”

He continued, “So I felt like, just me personally, what is that I believe is taking on a stance that, I do believe that black lives matter, but I just felt like it was a decision that I had to make, and I didn’t feel like putting that shirt on and kneeling went hand-in-hand with supporting black lives. I believe that for myself, my life has been supported by Gospel, Jesus Christ, and everyone is made in the image of God and that we all forge through God’s glory.”

Elaborating further, Isaac said that “when you look around, racism isn’t the only thing that plagues our society, that plagues our nation, that plagues our world, and I think coming together on that message that we want to get past not only racism but everything that plagues as us as a society, I feel like the answer to that is gospel.”