Several NBA players have chosen Jehovah’s Witnesses as their religion, including Danny Granger, Darren Collison, and more.
The NBA is a global league, with more than 450 active players on 30 different rosters at any given time. The players in the league come from all over the world, from all walks of life, and each have their own faith.
We see players like Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Jusuf Nurkic and more celebrating the month of Ramadan. At the same time, we have other players who identify as Jehovah’s Witnesses. In case you’re wondering what a Jehovah’s Witness is, it’s a Millennial Restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs other than mainstream Christianity.
They are best known for their door-to-door preaching, their rejection of military service and blood transfusions, and their pagan beliefs. In the NBA we have players who belong to this denomination, including names like Danny Granger and more.
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NBA players, including Danny Granger, who are/were Jehovah’s Witnesses
Over the years we have seen many players practicing different religions. There have been several players who have also been known to Jehovah’s Witnesses. Is it so:
1.Danny Granger:
Danny Granger played for ten seasons in the NBA. He spent nine of them in Indiana with the Pacers. Danny was an All-Star in 2009 and even won the Most Improved Player award. He was traded to the Sixers at the 2014 trade deadline, where the team purchased him. The Clippers signed him for the rest of the season. In 2014-15, he played for the Miami Heat before retiring. Danny found that basketball didn’t satisfy him and he found comfort in the Bible.
Granger grew up in a religious home that was part of the Jehovah’s Witnesses denomination. However, he was baptized two years after retiring from the NBA.
2. Darren Collison:
Darren Collison was drafted in 2009 by the Hornets. He has played for several franchises, such as the Hornets, Pacers, Mavericks, Clippers, Kings, and then spent two years with the Pacers before announcing his retirement. Collision cited religious reasons for hanging up his boots at a time when he was expected to sign a big deal. Being a Jehovah’s Witness, Collison prioritized his faith over money.
Darren Collison’s retirement is shocking. He has started 140 of 145 games in the last 2 years for IND. The 31-year-old averaged 11.2 PPG, 6.0 APG, 3.1 RPG, 1.4 SPG and 40.7 3PT%. Teams were interested in signing him. He said @MarcJSpearsESPN it is about his faith as a Jehovah’s Witness. pic.twitter.com/Twkotinpik
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 29, 2019
In 2021, Collison returned to the NBA on a 10-day contract with the Lakers. Things didn’t work out and he was fired once his contract expired. Currently, he has signed with the South Bay Lakers, the G-League affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers.
3. Dewayne Deedmond:
Dewayne Dedmon grew up in a religious home where his mother is a Jehovah’s Witness. Due to her religious beliefs, she didn’t let Dedmon play basketball. However, once he turned 18, she decided to use her rights and challenge her, and started playing in college.
In 2013, he was signed by the Golden State Warriors, where he was moved from the team to Santa Cruz and back again and again. He then signed with the Sixers for two 10-day contracts. Dedmon played two seasons in Orlando, one with the Spurs, two again with the Hawks, and then one with the Kings. Currently, he has a 2-year, $9 million contract with the Miami Heat.
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4. Wise Willie:
Willie Wise was a 3x ABA All-Star and 1x ABA Champion, before the ABA-NBA merger in 1976. After the merger, he played for the Seattle Supersonics and the Denver Nuggets, before retiring in 1977.
Wise was a devoted member of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Had he not been chosen by the ABA’s Los Angeles Stars, Wise claimed that he he would probably have become a minister of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
5.David Meyers:
Dave Meyers was a two-time NCAA champion with the UCLA Bruins. He was drafted by the Lakers in 1975, but was quickly traded to the Bucks for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Meyers played five seasons in the NBA, during which he averaged 11.2 points and 6.3 rebounds.
In 1980, after only five seasons in the league, Meyers made a surprise announcement that he was retiring to spend more time with his family and concentrate on his religion, the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
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Other Famous Athletes Who Are Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses is a growing religion, with more than 8.2 million practicing worldwide. Along with the aforementioned NBA players, there are also others who were part of this religion. Some of the biggest names are:
Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Lou Whitaker and Chet Lemon.
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