How many NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses?
3 players who follow Jehovah’s witnesses are: Darren Collison, Danny Granger, and Dewayne Dedmon
The NBA is a diverse organization housing players of different nationalities, races, religions and religious beliefs. The NBA showed yet another instance of its diversity when it was revealed that a number of NBA players in the past were Jehovah’s Witnesses – a minority group in Christianity. As per the latest reports, there are only 8.5 million worldwide members.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses are a Christian denomination that first originated in the 1870s. In 2022, it has over 100,000 congregations and many of its members are world-famous athletes as well. Throughout its history, members of the NBA have belonged to this denomination and one player has even retired to focus on his faith.
This piece will look at some NBA players who are Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The first name on our list is Darren Collison. Collison spent 10 years in the NBA from 2009 to 2019, spending four years with the Indiana Pacers and three years with the Sacramento Kings – while also playing for the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans and both Los Angeles teams.
However, Collison cut his career short in 2019 when he decided to focus primarily on his faith. “While I still love basketball, I know there is something more important, which is my family and my faith” Collison announced before retiring. Collison’s return in 2021 was unsuccessful.
• The next name on our list is Danny Granger. Yet another player for the Indiana Pacers, Granger was one of the prolific scorers in his time in the NBA and also played for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Miami Heat.
Granger was raised in a religious household by Jehovah’s Witnesses but wasn’t baptized until 2017, two years after his final season in the NBA.
• The last name on our list is Dewayne Dedmon. The Miami Heat centre is widely known as one of the best role players in the NBA, but he could well have had a different career if he listened to his Jehovah’s Witness mother growing up – who forbade Dedmon from playing basketball.
As a teenager, Dedmon was not coached because of his faith but he still made it to the highest level of his sport. Dedmon’s story is an inspirational tale of fighting against all odds.
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