Religion plays an integral role for some athletes, and those in basketball are no exception. NBA superstars have mixed religions.
But how many NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses? We have a look at some of the stars in the NBA league who are staunch believers of the Jehovah’s Witness faith.
6 NBA players who are Jehovah’s Witnesses
Darren Collison
Birthdate: August 23 1987
Listed weight: 160lbs
Height: 6.0 feet
Draft: 2009 R1 pick 21
Position: point guard
Daren Michael Collison is a famous NBA player and identifies with the Jehovah’s Witness’s faith. The American basketball star had an active career between 2009 and 2019. During that period, he played for Indiana for 4 years and Sacramento Kings for 3 years.
Also, Darren has played for other famous teams such as New Orleans, Dallas, and Los Angeles. Both his college and professional basketball career shone brightly.
However, in 2019 Dareen Collison decided to retire from basketball and concentrate more on family and faith. But in 2021, Darren returned and successfully signed a 10-day contract with the Lakers.
His notable achievements in the sport include appearing in the third team all-American twice and once in the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He has also earned the NBA Rookie of the Month title once.
The video below best showcases Daren Collison’s game on the court:
Danny Granger
Birthdate: April 20th 1983
Listed weight: 222lbs
Height: 6 feet 9 inches
Draft: 2005 R1 pick 17
Position: small forward
Country of origin: USA
Danny Granger also stands out among the notable NBA players who identify with Jehovah’s Witnesses faith. The former NBA player spent 9 seasons playing for the Indiana Pacers in the small forward position. However, he also played for the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers.
Granger grew up in a family deeply in the Jehovah’s Witness faith. And after his official retirement from the sport, Danny was baptized in 2017. Besides being a strong believer, he took part in several charitable works.
Although he never won a world championship, Danny earned several achievements. That includes winning the NBA All-Star title once, the NBA Most Improved Player once, and NBA Player of the Week once.
Check the video below of what Danny does best in the court:
Dewayne Dedmon
Birthdate: August 12th 1989
Listed weight:
Height: 6 feet 10 inches
Draft: undrafted
Position: center
Country of Origin: USA
As a devout Jehovah’s Witness, Dewayne faced several changes in his career. Right from childhood his mother never wanted him to play basketball. However, he pressed on with the dream and started playing the game when he turned 18 years old.
Throughout his career, Dewayne played as an undrafted player. He has played for big teams such as Golden State Warriors, Santa Cruz Warriors, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, and Ontario Clippers among others.
Even though he has yet to achieve big awards in the sport, Dewayne has kept a strong belief in his faith. Dewayne has shown impressive rebounding, scoring, and defensive abilities in the sport. In basketball games, he is known by the nickname, the Mechanic.
For a taste of his playing style, check the following video highlight:
Dave Meyer
Birthdate: April 21st, 1953
Listed weight: 215lbs
Height: 6 feet 9 inches
Draft: 1975R1 Pick2
Position: Power forward
Country of Origin: USA
Dave Meyer identified with the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith and played in the NBA league from 1975 to 1980. And during that time, he identified with one team, Milwaukee.
After playing in the NBA for only five years, Dave Meyer decided to retire from the sport and find more time for his family and Jehovah’s Witness faith.
In his college time, Meyer garnered the NCAA Championship title twice. Even after retiring from the sport, Dave Meyer never showed a wavering faith. Besides showing a strong faith in his religion, Dave also registered outstanding performance in the professional basketball game.
Check the video clip below for a recap of his best moments:
Wayman Tisdale
Birthdate: June 9th 1964
Listed height: 6 feet, 9 inches
Weight: 260lbs
Draft: 1985 R1 Pick 2
Position: Power forward
Country of Origin: USA
Tisdale had an active professional basketball career between 1985 to 1997. Besides the sport, he was a gifted jazz music player. Often, he used his songs as a means of talking more about his faith.
In his career, Tisdale played for several famous teams including Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, and Phoenix Suns.
In college, He was so attached to music and church that his coach had to adjust Sunday practice times to give him more time to attend church services. Besides winning an Olympic gold medal, Wayman was a three-time player in the consensus first team All American.
At age 44, Wayman succumbed to cancer-related complications. Nevertheless, his superb basketball skills and his faith made him stand out. Check it out in the clip below,
AC Green
Birthdate: October 4th 1963
Listed weight: 225lbs
Height:6 feet 9 inches
Draft: 1985 R1 Pick 23
Position; power forward/small forward
AC Green is yet another NBA player who is devoted to Jehovah’s Witness faith. However, his contribution to the NBA also stands tall. He played in the league for a total of 16 years.
Over those years AC Green identified with teams such as Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and Miami Heat.
Between the 80s and 90s, his contributions aided the Lakers to secure victory in the championship thrice. Further, Green has also earned the NBA All-Star title once.
So strong is Green’s Jehovah’s Witness faith that he never smoked, took alcohol, or sprayed champagne as his colleagues always do during celebrations. Besides, he also advocated for abstinence till marriage for the youths.
In case you have never watched AC Green in the court, the following video clip gives a taste of his game:
Conclusion
Many NBA players identify with the Jehovah’s Witness faith. Among them are Daren Collison, Danny Granger, AC Green, Dewayne Dedmon, and Wayne Tisdale.
Despite the challenging nature of the basketball game, the players have not given up on their faith. Hence determination and religion have helped push the NBA stars to success in their fields.
