Well, howdy there! Let’s talk about them NBA fellas, the ones who play basketball real good. You know, the tall guys who run around and throw that ball in the hoop. But we ain’t talkin’ ‘bout just any players, we’re talkin’ ‘bout the ones who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, you know, them folks who go door-to-door talkin’ ‘bout the Bible and all.
So, how many of them fellas are there in the NBA? That’s what we wanna know, ain’t it? Well, it ain’t easy countin’ ‘em all, like countin’ chickens in a coop, they keep movin’ around. But from what I hear, there ain’t a whole heap of ‘em, not like a whole team or nothin’. It’s more like a few here and there.
Now, I heard tell of some names. You got this fella, Dewayne Dedmon, plays for the Miami Heat now, big fella, good at gettin’ them rebounds. He’s one of them Jehovah’s Witnesses. Then there was Danny Granger, played for a good long while, ten seasons they say. He was with the Indiana Pacers for a spell. And that Darren Collison fella, another one who played with the Pacers, a point guard, quick as a rabbit, he played for a bunch of teams, Dallas, New Orleans, Sacramento, all over the place.
- Dewayne Dedmon (Miami Heat)
- Danny Granger (retired)
- Darren Collison (retired)
These fellas, they played hard, real hard, but they also took their faith serious. Like that Darren Collison, he up and retired, said it was for religious reasons, wanted to follow Jesus full-time, I reckon. Can’t fault a man for followin’ his heart, even if it means hangin’ up his sneakers.
It ain’t like every other player is a Jehovah’s Witness though, mind you. Most of them fellas, they got other beliefs, or maybe none at all, I dunno. It’s just a few who choose that path. It’s like findin’ a four-leaf clover in a big ol’ field, they’re there, but you gotta look for ‘em.
I also heard ‘bout this young fella, AJ Griffin. He was a first-round draft pick, big deal, you know? But he retired early, just two years in. Said he wanted to follow Jesus full-time too. Made a video ‘bout it on that YouTube thingamajig. Seems like faith is mighty important to these fellas, more important than all that fame and money, I guess.
So, when you get down to it, there ain’t a whole lot of Jehovah’s Witnesses playin’ in the NBA right now, mostly it’s fellas who used to play. It ain’t like you can fill a whole team with ‘em. But the ones who do, or did, they seem pretty serious ‘bout their faith. And that’s somethin’, ain’t it? It takes a strong person to stand up for what they believe in, especially when they’re in the spotlight like them basketball players.
Now, some folks might say, “Why does it matter how many NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses?” Well, I reckon it matters ‘cause it shows you that people from all walks of life, even them famous athletes, can have strong faith. It ain’t just for folks livin’ out in the country like me, it’s for everybody, no matter what they do for a livin’.
So there you have it. We got Dewayne Dedmon playin’ now, and then there’s fellas like Danny Granger and Darren Collison who used to play. And that young AJ Griffin who retired early. There might be others, but them’s the ones I heard ‘bout. It ain’t a big number, but it’s somethin’ to think about. Shows you faith can be found anywhere, even on a basketball court.
And that’s the long and short of it, as best as I can tell. It ain’t a perfect count, mind you, but it gives you a good idea. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go tend to my chickens.
