Reporter:
Jonathan, wondering if you can comment on the Rolling Stone article and your comments about you not getting a vaccination, why you don't want to get a vaccination, and were you miss quoted in that article?
Jonathan Isaac:
I would just I would start by saying that I was pretty badly misrepresented in the Rolling Stone article. And because of that, I can understand anyone who may say they don't transparently or overtly trust the media. In a frustrated tweet yesterday. I had noted that true journalism was dying. And to that, I would say that I appreciate every single one of you. Those that try their best to correctly share the thoughts, the ideas, and the heart of the people that they're asking questions of. I'm not anti-vax. I'm not anti-medicine. I'm not anti-science. I didn't come to my current vaccination status by studying black history or watching Donald Trump press conferences. I have nothing but the utmost respect for every health care worker and person in Orlando and all across the world that have worked tirelessly to keep us safe. My mom has worked in healthcare for a really long time. I thank God, I'm grateful that I live in a society where vaccines are possible and we can protect ourselves and have the means to protect ourselves in the first place. But with that being said, it is my belief that the vaccine status of every person should be their own choice and completely up to them without bullying, without being pressured, or without being forced into doing so. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm uncomfortable with taking the vaccine at this time. I think that we're all different, we all come from different places, we've all had different experiences, and hold dear to different beliefs and what it is that you do with your body when it comes to putting medicine in there should be your choice on free of the ridicule in the opinion of others.
Reporter 2:
Why are you hesitant to get it?
Isaac:
I would start with, I've had COVID in the past and so our understanding of antibodies of natural immunity has changed a great deal from the onset of the pandemic and is still evolving. I understand that the vaccine would help if you catch COVID and you'll be able to have less symptoms from contracting it but with me having COVID in the past, having antibodies, with my current age group and physical fitness level, it's not necessarily a fear of mine. But taking the vaccine like I said it would decrease my chances of having a severe reaction but it does open it up to the, albeit rare, chance but the possibility of having an adverse reaction to the vaccine itself. I don't believe that being unvaccinated means infected or being vaccinated means uninfected. You can still catch COVID with or with not having a vaccine. I would say honestly the craziness of it all, in terms of not being able to say that it should be everybody's decision towards without being demeaned, or talked crazy to doesn't make more uncomfortable to do what said person is telling them to do. Yeah, obviously that's, that's a couple of the reasons that you know I would say I'm hesitant at this time but at the end of the day, I don't feel that it is anyone's reason to come out and say well this is why or this is not why. It should just be their decision and, you know, loving your neighbors, not just loving those that agree with you or look like you or move in the same way that you do. It's loving those who don't
Reporter 3:
Just a follow-up to some of that … I'm sure you've probably been vaccinated for some other stuff measles, things like that. What's the difference between that and this and also how do you feel about the more stringent protocols for unvaccinated players in the NBA?
Isaac:
When it comes to other vaccines, I think it's pretty simple to really take in any, you know modern medicine. I think that that too should be your free choice. if I had to take anything when I was a kid it was the free choice of my parents about whether or not to give it to me. Um, and yeah, you know I'm not anti-science I'm not anti-modern medicine. I, if I get sick enough I'm going to the doctor, if my, if my current, you know, if, if my wife, when we do have kids, is, I'm not going to deliver the baby myself I'm gonna take her to the hospital. And so, so yeah, so it really does come down to just not believing that it's the free right of us as individuals to take it or not. And then when it comes to the NBA and them having no restrictions or rules in place, you know that the NBA is free to make those decisions, and I as a member of the NBA would follow suit with whatever protocol is set before us. I would only my only point would be and it was, it was pointed to in the article but still not in the way that you know I refer to it. If the NBA is to give us regulations like we can't, you know, maybe you see that the same part of the plane as the other players or eat in the same room as the other players. My only, you know, I guess, thought on that would be, I don't think it would logically follow for us and then play on the court and share the same ball and bump chests and do all those things. So, if the NBA is going to do those things I would honor it. But at the same time when I would ask, it doesn't seem logically consistent.
Reporter 4:
Because of your profession and just the environment in which you play you have teammates that you're accountable to, your coaches you're accountable to, do you feel that internal pressure just to make sure that you're available to play games to do you feel that internal pressure to get the vaccine and is that something that maybe could be compelling enough to you down the road to get the vaccine?
Isaac:
I would say that, um, you know, to me, I don't know how you all feel but getting the vaccine is not the only way to protect the people around you, I think it's an option. I think it's a good option, you know, with anyone who's done it. I see is those who have decided to take it as people have decided to take it. But there are other measures to be taken to protect the people around you like all of you are wearing masks, even though I'm sure all of you are vaccinated. Being socially distant or being wise about washing your hands are all the things that the CDC and other people have told us to do to protect ourselves so I believe that the vaccine is an option. I don't think it's 100% necessary to, to think about protecting the people around you.
Reporter 5:
Just wondering, are you worried about this possibly impacting your team down the road when you guys, you know, travel to New York and travel to Brooklyn or the Nets or the Knicks because they do have that rule where you have to be vaccinated to play indoors.
Isaac:
I'm not sure if that rule applied for opposing teams. I'm not sure. Um, I think, you know, for me, I'll just take everything in stride and figure out things as we move forward, I'm not set in stone, like, I never said I was proudly unvaccinated. Even though even if I am I'm not someone to come out and say that or in any way so I say I'll just take it in stride and if it does come up or if there are any problems. I'll handle it when it comes.
Reporter 6:
...Two parts here, what has been the reaction from your teammates to this news and I know you're a deeply religious person, a man of faith, how much, if at all, did that play into this decision or your thinking at all?
Isaac:
When it comes to my teammates, coaches, everybody, um, to be honest, no one has really cared. I haven't had any conversations with teammates on whether or not I'm vaccinated or not or whether or not they're vaccinated or not. When it comes to being religious, I think, I think God calls us all to be wise. I think there are people who, who believe that Jesus is alive, that he's a, he's a protector that he's a healer that he's a friend that you can trust him before you trust in any man and I'm not ashamed to say I'm one of those people. But at the end of the day, God calls us to be wise and lean to our own convictions on what it is that we want to do, and that's how I feel about the vaccine. Everyone should be free to make their own decision and choice, and I feel that God could be leading two different people in the same place in two completely different directions, and if their conviction is as a believer as any faith that I decide to take the vaccine then I'll stand with them. And if there's anyone who says, based on my belief and my conviction, I don't want to take it, I will be right there to stand with that person as well.