The NBA is a global league. It features players of all races, castes, and ethnicities. Many are vocal about their faith, often showing gratitude to God in post-game interviews, trophy presentations, and social media. The NBA has also had a few players that are Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are a minority group in the Christian faith with a slightly different set of beliefs. Per Pew Research Center, only 0.8% of the United States of America’s population are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The number is even lower in the NBA, with only three players being vocal about actively being Jehovah’s Witnesses. Let’s take a look at those three players.
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1. Danny Granger
Danny Granger, a talented small forward, played in the NBA from 2005 to 2015 in the NBA. He played for the Indiana Pacers for most of his career and was an All-Star in 2009. In addition to his work on the court, Granger was renowned for his charitable work in Haiti and his support of mental health awareness. Granger was raised in a Jehovah’s Witness home and spent his formative years attending Kingdom Halls with them.
He claimed in an interview with the Indianapolis Star published in 2008 that his faith has enabled him to handle the demands of being a professional athlete. “I have a great feeling of serenity as a Jehovah’s Witness, and that peace goes over to the basketball court,” Granger said. “When I’m out there, I’m not thinking about all the pressure and the noise. I’m just playing the game I love.”
2. Dewayne Dedmon
Center Dewayne Dedmon played for a slew of NBA teams, including the Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, and Atlanta Hawks. He did not start playing high school basketball until his final year due to restrictions put on him by his mother because of his religion. His mother, a Jehovah’s Witness, opposed his participation in athletics.
Dedmon, though, was adamant about pursuing his love of basketball and working hard to improve his abilities. His impressive play in his senior year of high school prompted the USC Trojans men’s basketball team to add him to their roster. He went undrafted after college but was later signed by the Golden State Warriors in 2013.
Dedmon once explained that he was able to over the difficulties he encountered at the beginning of his basketball career due to his religion. He stated in a Business Insider interview, “I can honestly say that my faith has helped me overcome a lot of hardship in my life. It has helped me maintain my composure and my attitude amid trying circumstances.”
3. Darren Collison
In a career spanning from 2009 to 2019, Darren Collison played in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, and Indiana Pacers. He averaged 12.5 points and five assists during his stint in the league.
Collison surprisingly announced his retirement from the NBA in 2019 at the age of 31, citing religious motivations. He emphasized that his faith was extremely important to him and that he wanted to concentrate on his family and philanthropic activities in an interview with The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears. He said, “I still love basketball, I know there is something more important, which is my family and my faith. I am one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and my faith means everything to me. I receive so much joy from volunteering to help others and participate in a worldwide ministry. The joy I feel is unmatched.“
Collison grew up in a family of followers of Jehovah’s Witness, just like Granger and Dedmon. He discussed the difficulties he had balancing his work and faith in the same interview, but in the end, he always felt that his religious convictions came first. Although followers of Jehovah’s Witnesses are underrepresented in the NBA, their religious convictions have had a big impact on these three players’ careers. These players overcame obstacles to succeed in the game.
In case you missed it:
Why did Darren Collison leave the NBA? Exploring the reason behind his retirement.
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