Jonathan Judah Isaac (born October 3, 1997) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for one season for the

Florida State Seminoles The Florida State Seminoles are the athletic teams representing Florida State University (FSU) located in Tallahassee, Florida. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I, prima ...

. Isaac was selected with the sixth overall pick by the Magic in the

2017 NBA draft The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

High school career

Isaac first attended Barron Collier High School in

Naples, Florida Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 19,115, down from 19,539 at the 2010 census. Naples is a principal city of the Collier County, Florida, Naples–Marc ...

during his freshman and sophomore years. In his junior and senior years, he attended the International School of Broward in

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb in the Miami metropolitan area. The population of Hollywood was 153,067 as of 2020, making it the Broward County#Communities, third-largest city in Broward County, th ...

. However, as a result of wanting to be reclassified as part of the high school class of 2016, Isaac also attended

IMG Academy IMG Academy is a University-preparatory school, preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. The organization is set across over 600 acres (243 ha) and features programs consisting of sport ca ...

for what was considered to be a

postgraduate year A postgraduate (PG) year is an extra year of secondary coursework at a boarding school following high school graduation, but before entering college. It is a gap year option intended for students who either have not applied or were not admitt ...

in 2016. As a senior in 2016, he averaged 17.6

points per game Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player or team per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of poi ...

and 10.0

rebounds per game 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

while leading IMG Academy to a 21–10 overall record. In his high school career, he grew six inches from his freshman year to his senior year, going from a combo guard of sorts to the combo forward he is today. Isaac was selected to play in the 2016

Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school all star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys and girls in the senior class. In 2015, a girl's game was introduced. Th ...

and

Nike Hoop Summit The Nike Hoop Summit is an international basketball all-star game sponsored by Nike, Inc., Nike, held once a year, which features the USA Basketball Men's Junior Select Team against a World Select Team of international players. The players demons ...

All-Star games. Isaac was rated as a five-star recruit and ranked as the No.12 overall recruit and No.4 Small forward in the 2016 high school class. On July 5, 2015, Isaac confirmed that he was going to commit to

Florida State Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

after his senior year of high school ended. On February 5, 2016, he announced his intention of testing the possibility of entering the 2016 NBA draft as the first American postgraduate to jump directly from high school to the NBA draft since 2005. He was also considered a prospect that could have been taken in the middle or late first round had he committed to it. Four days after making that announcement, however, Isaac confirmed that he was not going to enter the 2016 draft after all and reaffirmed his intentions of playing with Florida State for the 2016–17 season.

College career

Before the 2016–17 season began, Isaac was considered a preseason watch for the Karl Malone Award. Isaac would record his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 100–71 win over

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

on November 20. He'd earned the ACC Freshman of the Week award for his performances from November 15–21, 2016. On January 18, 2017, Isaac recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds, and a season-high 7 blocks in a win over the

Notre Dame Fighting Irish The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 26 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Division ...

. On February 8, 2017, Isaac scored 21 points in a 95–71 victory against the

NC State Wolfpack The NC State Wolfpack is the nickname of the athletic teams representing North Carolina State University. The Wolfpack competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I (NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subd ...

. Throughout the season, Isaac was considered a team leader alongside fellow prospects Dwayne Bacon and Xavier Rathan-Mayes, to the point where they at one point were considered the sixth-best team in the nation. As the second seed in the ACC tournament, Florida State beat

Virginia Tech The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...

in the quarterfinals, but lost to Notre Dame in the semi-finals. His team then proceeded to the NCAA Tournament, where they were seeded 3rd in the West. They won their first-round game 86–80 against FGCU at

Amway Center Kia Center (formerly Amway Center) is an indoor arena located in the Downtown Orlando, downtown core of Orlando, Florida. The arena is home to the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, ...

in Orlando, Florida. However, they lost in the round of 32 in a blowout upset against 11th-seeded Xavier, 91–66. Isaac scored just 25 points in two games In his NCAA Tournament career. At the conclusion of his freshman season, he was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team of 2017. In addition to that, Isaac announced his intention to forgo his final three years of collegiate eligibility and enter the

where he was projected as a lottery first round selection. He was the second player in Florida State's basketball history to leave as a one-and-done prospect, behind Malik Beasley in 2016.

Professional career

Orlando Magic (2017–present)

On June 22, 2017, Isaac was selected with the sixth overall pick in the

by the

. On December 28, he was ruled out with a right ankle sprain. On February 23, 2018, he was assigned to the Lakeland Magic of the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

for rehabilitation purposes. In his second year in the league, Isaac became a starter for the Magic in 64 games, posting career-high averages in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks per game. On January 31, 2019, he recorded a career-high 13 rebounds in a 107–100 win over the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. On February 10, he matched his career-high of 5 blocks, to go along with 17 points and 2 steals in a 124–108 win over the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

. On February 12, he scored a career-high 20 points in a 118–88 win over the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

. Isaac improved on his previous career-high in scoring by posting 24 points in a 95–104 loss to the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...

on October 28, 2019. On January 1, 2020, he suffered a posterior lateral corner injury and a medial bone contusion in his left knee during a 122–101 win over the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

and was expected to be sidelined for about eight to ten weeks. On August 2, Isaac suffered a torn left

anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation. In ...

(ACL) during a 132–116 win over the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

hosted in the 2020 NBA Bubble. Isaac later underwent successful surgery on August 7 to repair his torn left ACL and meniscus, and was expected to miss the remainder of

2019–20 NBA season The 2019–20 NBA season was the 74th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 22, 2019, and originally was supposed to end on April 15, 2020. The 2020 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 16, ...

. On August 31, Magic team president Jeff Weltman confirmed Isaac would also miss the entire

2020–21 NBA season The 2020–21 NBA season was the 75th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA), though the 75th anniversary was not celebrated until the following season. Due to the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic, the re ...

with the injury. On March 15, 2022, Weltman announced that Isaac would miss the remainder of the

2021–22 NBA season The 2021–22 NBA season was the 76th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 19, 2021, and ended on April 10, 2022. For the first time since the 2018–19 season, the NBA returned to its usual O ...

due to the injury. He had not yet played during the season. On March 22, Isaac suffered a minor injury to his right hamstring during his rehab and underwent a surgical procedure. On January 10, 2023, Isaac was assigned to the Magic's G League affiliate for just one game. On January 23, he returned to the court after over two and a half years, recording 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals in 9 minutes in a 113–98 win over the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

. On February 28, during practice in Milwaukee, Isaac felt discomfort, and an MRI a day later revealed a torn left adductor muscle. On March 3, he underwent season-ending surgery to address the injury.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

, 27 , , 10 , , 19.8 , , .379 , , .348 , , .760 , , 3.7 , , .7 , , 1.2 , , 1.1 , , 5.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 75 , , 64 , , 26.6 , , .429 , , .323 , , .815 , , 5.5 , , 1.1 , , .8 , , 1.3 , , 9.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 34 , , 32 , , 28.8 , , .470 , , .340 , , .779 , , 6.8 , , 1.4 , , 1.6 , , 2.3 , , 11.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 11 , , 0 , , 11.3 , , .415 , , .400 , , .556 , , 4.0 , , .5 , , 1.3 , , .4 , , 5.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 58 , , 2 , , 15.8 , , .510 , , .375 , , .720 , , 4.5 , , .5 , , .7 , , 1.2 , , 6.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 71 , , 1 , , 15.4 , , .414 , , .258 , , .682 , , 4.4 , , .6 , , .9 , , 1.1 , , 5.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 276 , , 109 , , 20.4 , , .443 , , .323 , , .749 , , 4.9 , , .8 , , 1.0 , , 1.3 , , 7.6

Playoffs

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2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

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, 5 , , 5 , , 27.3 , , .275 , , .200 , , .875 , , 6.2 , , .4 , , .4 , , 1.0 , , 6.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

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, 7 , , 3 , , 21.0 , , .410 , , .370 , , 1.000 , , 4.9 , , .4 , , .7 , , 1.3 , , 6.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 12 , , 8 , , 23.7 , , .342 , , .298 , , .900 , , 5.4 , , .4 , , .6 , , 1.2 , , 6.4

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 32 , , 26.2 , , .508 , , .348 , , .780 , , 7.8 , , 1.2 , , 1.2 , , 1.5 , , 12.0

Personal life

Isaac is one of six children born to Jackie Allen. He has one older sister, two older brothers, and two younger brothers. Isaac is of Puerto Rican descent due to his maternal grandfather and is eligible to play for the Puerto Rican national team. Isaac was raised as a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

and attended church but did not embrace his religion until after he entered the NBA. He has preached at Jump Ministries Global Church in Orlando. Isaac developed

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner wikt:turmoil, turmoil and includes feelings of dread over Anticipation, anticipated events. Anxiety is different from fear in that fear is defined as the emotional response ...

as a middle school student when he struggled to fit in as a black student among predominantly white classmates. His anxiety persisted through his college season and early NBA years. In a July 31, 2020, game against the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...

in the NBA Bubble, Isaac was the only player to stand during the U.S. national anthem. When asked about this decision after the game, he responded: Isaac spoke at the ReAwaken America Tour on standing during the anthem and declining the

COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Knowledge about the structure and fun ...

. Isaac is a

national conservative National conservatism is a nationalist variant of conservatism that concentrates on upholding national and cultural identity, communitarianism and the public role of religion. It shares aspects of traditionalist conservatism and social conserva ...

and has spoken at the annual National Conservatism Conference. On September 18, 2021, Isaac married his fiancée, Takita Nicole Thomas.

Books

On May 17, 2022, Isaac's first book ''Why I Stand'' was published. In the book, Isaac shares how his Christian faith shaped his life and helped him overcome various struggles.

References

External links

*
Florida State Seminoles bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Isaac, Jonathan 1997 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen African-American Christians American men's basketball players American sportspeople of Puerto Rican descent Basketball players from Florida Basketball players from the Bronx Black conservatism in the United States Florida State Seminoles men's basketball players IMG Academy alumni Lakeland Magic players Orlando Magic draft picks Orlando Magic players Power forwards Small forwards Sportspeople from Naples, Florida