(RNS) — Jonathan Isaac, the 6-foot, 10-inch forward and a 2017 first-round pick for the Orlando Magic, scored a new kind of fame last week: His sneaker — the first product of his Christian apparel brand, Unitus — was unveiled in an exhibit at the Museum of the Bible in Washington.
The shoe, signed by Isaac, refers to a verse from the Bible’s Book of Proverbs, “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”
The shoe is known as the Judah 1, an apparent reference to the Lion of Judah, a biblical theme that first appears in the Book of Genesis. Isaac’s sneaker is imprinted with the shape of a lion’s mane, and its sole features a lion and a pair of crossed keys. The verse, the first in Proverbs chapter 28, is one Isaac said he has turned to in times when he has struggled with anxiety.
In brief remarks at the Aug. 19 ceremony attended by Isaac’s family and supporters, Isaac said, “There were moments in my life where I placed ultimate value on what was ultimately valueless, while not focused on what was truly valuable, which was my relationship with Christ. … And when I look at this mome …