First Game In 2½ Years Is Finally Here For Magic Forward

It's been made official now; after more than 900 days—two and a half years—out of action, Orlando Magic big man Jonathan Isaac is finally returning to an NBA court. 

The Magic have officially announced that Jonathan Isaac will play in his first NBA game tonight in over 900 days 👏

Isaac played 3 games with the team's G-League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic this month. The last NBA game he played in came on August 2, 2020 in the NBA Bubble. pic.twitter.com/eHZIpZUXk5

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) January 23, 2023

The 25-year-old big man last played—as a 22-year-old—on Aug. 2, 2020. He's had a long road recovering from a torn ACL. 

In a bizarre video posted by an Orlando Magic podcast, it was Isaac's pastor... yes, that's right... who revealed the player's impending return.   

BREAKING: @JJudahIsaac will be returning to the court tomorrow night against the Boston Celtics, according to his pastor. #MagicTogether pic.twitter.com/S3JVmWK7ki

— The Sixth Man Show (@SixthManShow) January 22, 2023

"Completely healed... Completely healed... Completely healed..." the pastor repeated over and over. 

The former No. 6 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft played three games for the Magic's G League affiliate earlier this month as the final step in his long recovery. He averaged 15.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in just 17.7 minutes for the Lakeland team. Reports say he'll be limited to 8-10 minutes in his return tonight.

The last time any of us saw Isaac in the NBA, in addition to averaging 11.9 points and 2.3 blocks in the 2019-20 season, he also made headlines during the 2020 Bubble when he chose not to kneel during the national anthem or wear a “Black Lives Matter” shirt. Should be interesting to see how he's welcomed back to the league. 

At least... he's completely healed. 

Photo: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports