Orlando Magic player and vocal Christian Jonathan Isaac has launched his own sports and lifestyle apparel company, UNITUS, and the world's first basketball shoes with a visible Bible verse, the JUDAH1. He joins Glenn to tell the story of how this came to be: "I wanted to see my values represented in the marketplace." Isaac discusses where the idea to make his own signature shoe came from and how he designed it. And he also explains why he believes Nike didn't resign him. *UNITUS is a proud sponsor of the Glenn Beck Program.*

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Welcome to the Glenn Beck Program. Jonathan Isaac, he's the NBA well, player for the Orlando Magic.

He's also written a book, Why I Stand.

He became very popular to people who don't know sports, during the -- during the COVID debacle.
Because he said, no.

He is -- he founded Unite Us.

And has any created, the first basketball shoe, to feature a visible Bible verse. You can find all of this at weareuniteus.com.

Welcome to the -- welcome to the program, Jonathan.

By the way, full disclosure, Unite Us is a sponsor, I think of TheBlaze.

So I just want to make sure you know that. But I don't really care. It doesn't really affect my conversation with Jonathan.

Hey, Jonathan.

JONATHAN: Hey, Glenn. How are you doing?

GLENN: How is your ankle?

JONATHAN: It's doing good. But I appreciate you all. I'm actually on this call with you on my way to practice.

GLENN: Okay. Good. Good.

So what prompted. For people who don't know anything about Unite Us.

What prompted you to start Unite Us?

JONATHAN: Well, what prompted me was first just wanting to see my values represented in the marketplace, specifically in the sports and apparel lane.

We've got a plethora of companies today. And really, just our society as a whole.

I felt are moving away from, godly values and principles. And also constitutional values and principles. And so it's like, hey. I know that millions of people feel the same way I do, about what makes a prosperous society. Faith, family, freedom. Things like that.

And I wanted to be able to give them something that they can be encouraged by.

And feel good about them, and know that the company that they are supporting, completely supports the answer to values, not just behind closed doors.

But in the mainstream media and marketplace.

GLENN: What prompted Nike to pull their partnership from you?

JONATHAN: So I don't officially know.

A part of it is when players get hurt, it's something that happens.

Right? I'm back in the bubble after I stood, I got hurt. And it was a pretty serious injury.

And, you know, it's -- it's a part of the business.

You can't play, you know, you can't make companies money. So I wasn't able to play. So I wasn't resigned.

GLENN: Okay. So now you have reintroduced Judah one. This is the first basketball shoe to be manufactured with a visible Bible verse in it. Never been done before.

Tell me about it.

JONATHAN: Yeah. So, again, that's just me trying to be authentically myself. And the sneaker actually came about before the idea of Unite Us started. And because I didn't resign with Nike, I actually went to my pastor, and I told them, hey. I don't have a shoe company anymore. We were just talking casually.

And he said, make your own sneaker.

And I was like, what? He said, make your own sneaker.

So I went down the line. Okay. What would it look like?

And I wanted it to be authentically me.

So I said, shoot, we'll put Bible verses on it. My middle name is Judah. We'll call it the Judah one, and have Judah on the side of it.

The line of Judah.

And so that's where it started. And then the bigger idea of United came about. It was like, why not just create a sneaker for myself?

Why not give everybody an alternative avenue to stand for their values?

And so that's where it started. And I'm just so glad that it's being released.

And honestly, the support, and the recognition of it, has been absolutely amazing. So I'm appreciative.

GLENN: So what is the process like to design your own sneaker?

JONATHAN: So mine was a little different I'm sure than most.

I remember watching a movie, a while back. And the person that went to a college campus.

GLENN: Yep.

JONATHAN: And used the students. And so that's what I did. UCF was right here.

And so I was able to connect with their design school. And we turned it into an entire assignment for the students.

And we were able to pay five of them to come up with designs that we liked.

And that's where the first prototype design was born. And we just ran with it, once we got it from them.

GLENN: So -- but it wasn't just the design. It was the design of the actual shoe?

Or is the shoe itself, you know, as far as the way it works or, you know, on your foot.

JONATHAN: Right. It was just the flat-based design.

And we were able to take it to factories. And a company that actually turned us into a real sneaker.

GLENN: Unbelievable.

So you have not only sneakers, but you have activewear, et cetera, et cetera.

I'm looking at Unite Us.com. You have a great, I stand with Israel T-shirt right on the front. I mean, you are bold, brother. You are bold. And I am thrilled. I am thrilled.

These make great Christmas gifts. How much is the Judah one?

JONATHAN: The Judah one is $150.

GLENN: Okay. They will ship them out, ready -- ready to go for Christmas.

You'll find something, that is -- at WeAreUniteUs.com.

I wanted to get you on, because I -- I wanted to ask you, I think this is such a remarkable product. And I -- I just applaud you.

You are the first guy to really come in, and just say, hey, I'm -- I'm doing my own thing.

And I'm doing it for God.

And I'm doing it because our values are being lost.

I would love to have any of your shoes. In our museum.

I mean, I can buy the -- the shoes that are being sold right now.

But if you have any of the prototypes. Any of the early stuff.

I would like to keep it in our museum.

Because I think this is going to be an important shoe.

JONATHAN: Absolutely.

Glenn, we can make that happen.

I appreciate you. What you said, you know, you're bold and all these things. I have definitely developed, I would say, quite a bit of calluses over the years, just from the different things. I'm like, look, this is who I am. I think where our country is going, we have to be authentic and transparent of what we believe. And stand on it. And, no. Not everybody will agree with it. Not everybody will like it. But there are so many people who need to see somebody stand up for what they believe in. To know that it's okay to do it themselves.

And I guess that's a part of my calling, and I just want to walk it out.

GLENN: You're a good man. Thank you so much. It's great to have somebody, that our kids, and even people like me, can look at and say, look at this guy. Look at what he's doing.

Courage is contagious.

And you are spreading that like crazy. Thank you so much.

JONATHAN: I appreciate you, Glenn.

GLENN: God bless.