Jonathan Isaac. (right) (Getty)
Florida State star Jonathan Isaac was one of the top picks in the 2017 NBA Draft, and will join the Orlando Magic. The Bronx-born 19-year-old was actually raised in Naples, Florida and was raised by his mother, Jackie Allen. He has five siblings.
During his one season with the Florida State Seminoles, Isaac started all 32 games he played in, averaging 12 points and 7.8 rebounds a game and had a .508 field goal percentage. He earned a long list of honors, including All-ACC Freshman Team, All-ACC Honorable Mention, NCAA Player of the Week and Naismith Trophy Award National Player of the Week. He was also a two-time ACC Rookie of the Week.
You can follow Isaac on Instagram and Twitter.
Here’s a look at Isaac’s family.
1. His Mom Moved the Family to Florida to Escape a Dangerous Situation in New York
When Isaac was 10 years old, his mother, Jackie Allen, moved with Isaac and his five siblings from The Bronx, New York to Naples, Florida. According to USA Today, his mother chose to move the family to escape an “unsafe living environment.”
Isaac attended three different schools during high school. He started at Barron Collier High School in Naples for his first two years. He spent his junior and senior years at the International School in Hollywood, Florida. Then, he attended IMG Academy so he could be reclassified as a member of the 2016 high school class.
He committed to Florida State in July 2015. However, there was talk about him skipping college and declaring himself eligible for the NBA draft, but he decided against it. (Ultimately, Isaac was ruled ineligible for the 2016 draft anyway, because he still hadn’t received a diploma.)
“Looking back at my old self and seeing how immature I was before coming here has taught me so much about what it takes to be a team leader,” Isaac told USA Today “Now I look back and know that I made the right decision.”
2. Isaac Mentioned His Father in a Foot Locker Ad
Isaac did mention his father in a Father’s Day commercial for Foot Locker, which gets hijacked by Lonzo Ball joking about his talkative father. In his very brief moment in the commercial, Isaac thanks his father for “waking up early to go to all those far away tournaments.”
“The commercial is hilarious,” Jeffercy Hensley, one of Isaac’s best friends, told the Naples Daily News. “The three guys being sincere and then Lonzo coming in all serious and talking about the crazy things his dad has done. It was probably something Lonzo felt he needed to do, since there’s been so much negative press about him (due to his dad).”
Hensley played with Isaac at Barron Collier and explained to the Daily News why Isaac doesn’t really like to talk about himself.
“It’s not that he feels he’s too good, it’s quite the opposite,” Hensley told the paper. “He’s just a humble kid that doesn’t like the attention or talking about himself too much. He told me he’ll do more interviews when they become mandatory. And he knows that day is coming soon.”
Brandenton.con notes that Isaac’s father is 6-3 and Isaac is now listed at 6-10 thanks to an incredible growth spurt in high school.
3. Isaac Has 1 Sister & 4 Brothers
Isaac has four brothers and one sister, according to his Seminoles bio. His sister, Kalilah Allen is the oldest at 24 years old.
Isaac’s brothers are Jacob, 21; Joel, 20; Winston, 17; and Jeremiah, 7. You can follow Jacob on Twitter here.
In his February 2017 USA Today profile, Isaac noted that he has a rivalry with his brother Jacob. The two played basketball, and that inspired Isaac to be serious about playing the sport as a profession. It also helped that he suddenly got taller.
“That is pretty much why I got picked on teams, and I just kept playing,” Isaac told USA today of his height. “I stuck to it, and that was the only thing I knew how to do. It’s still the only thing I know how to do.”
4. His Mother Was Born in St. Kitts in the Caribbean
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Isaac’s mother, Jackie Allen, was born in St. Kitts, an island in the Caribbean.
As the Times Caribbean Online notes, his grandmother is Agatha Stevens, who lives in Christ Church and his uncle is Bickenel Stephens, a police officer in the Royal St. Christopher-Nevis Police Force. Allen was raised in Cayon.
In an interview with the Times Caribbean Online, Isaac said it was great to help the Florida State Seminoles get a spot among the top-ranked college basketball teams again.
“Honestly I want to say it feels great, but to me its an expectation,” he replied. “I came to Florida State wanting to change the culture and I think that is exactly what we have done as a team. We’ve completely turned around the culture and its our expectation to make the tournament, its not a wish anymore.”
5. His Mom Works as a Nurse at NCH Healthcare System
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According to his mother’s Facebook page, Jackie Allen works as a nurse at NCH Healthcare System as a nurse. She notes that she studied at Ashworth College, an online school based in Norcorss, Georgia.
Isaac credits his surprising high school growth spurt as really helping him become a star player. As The Tallahassee Democrat notes, he was only 6-3 in his sophomore year of high school and couldn’t dunk. However, he eventually grew to 6-10 and kept getting better. He got offers from Louisville and Kentucky, but had his heart set on going to Florida State.
His Florida State team finished 26-9 and ranked No. 16 in the AP poll. They reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.
“I hope we did (prove the doubters wrong),” Isaac told the Tallahassee Democrat. “But we’re not done proving. We’re not done proving by a long shot. We’ve still got work to do. But it’s been a dream regular season for me. To come in here and have that doubt in the back of my head, ‘Did I make the right decision? Should I have went to Kentucky or someplace where I’m just going to be in all the hype?’ But I truly believe I made the right decision.”
