21-year-old NBA forward A.J. Griffin has announced that he is leaving the NBA “to follow Jesus.”
“I gave up basketball to follow Jesus,” Griffin said in a seven-minute video. “And I know that in a lot of people’s eyes, that seems like – it seems like a loss in the world’s eyes. But I just want to let you guys know that I’m super-excited because I truly get to serve God, you know, with my full ‘yes,’ and I feel like letting go of basketball is allowing me to go into full-time ministry and truly serving the Lord with all my heart, with all my time too, as well. So, I’m just excited to see where that leads me.”
Griffin was selected by the Atlanta Hawks as the 16th pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. He shared that he became a Christian during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He found me,” Griffin said. “I gave my life to Christ and it was the best decision of my life, it truly was. I think my values started to change, my heart started to change.”
He explained that prior to a relationship with God, basketball was “the reason why [he] was living.” Since he found God, he realized his passion had changed.
Check out the full video below:
