Jonathan Isaac reacts to his long-awaited return to the NBA court / News - Basketnews.com

Jonathan Isaac thanked God that he found the passion to get back to the court. He felt fatigued at first but then got accustomed to the rhythm and stayed relaxed the rest of the way. He scored 10 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and made 2 steals in 10 minutes.

Credit: Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix Credit Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix

After a left knee injury that sidelined him since the summer of 2020, Orlando Magic center Jonathan Isaac has made his return to the NBA court.

Player of the Game EFF 24 Wendell Carter Jr. Points 21 Accuracy 8-13 Rebounds 11 Assists 1

Having previously played three games for the Lakeland Magic in the NBA G-League, Isaac made his first appearance in three years against the Boston Celtics last night.

He got subbed in with 7 minutes left in the first quarter after the first of the two Jayson Tatum's free throws. In 10 minutes of playing time, Isaac scored 10 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and made 2 steals.

"That kind of first wind got to me. That last minute I could barely talk I was breathing so hard," the player said about the first minutes on the court. "But the second rotation in the second half, that four minutes, I started to just relax and just feel good."

"There were days where I was like I don't know if I want to keep going," Isaac told. "But then again, I have to thank Christ. Being able to go back to my faith and say God has me on this journey for a purpose. I know that I was made to play basketball. I was made to give glory to God on this stage."

Isaac's teammates were happy for his friend as well. The no. 1 pick of the 2022 NBA Draft and NBA Rookie of the Year candidate Paolo Banchero revealed that even though the big man didn't play, he was a significant part of the team.

"Jonathan was one of the first guys to text my phone after I was drafted here. He's been a huge leader in the locker room for everybody, a positive voice, sending messages to the group chat all season, just all the little things he does as a teammate," Banchero said.

"To see him on the court after it's been so long, just get the love from the fans, be able to get a couple [of] buckets, get a steal, and just play the game was awesome to see," the Italian-American admitted.

Before injuring his ACL, Isaac averaged 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals during the 2019-20 NBA season.

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