A rising NBA star and former first-round draft pick surprised the basketball world this weekend by announcing his retirement to pursue a calling by God into ministry.
"I gave up basketball to follow Jesus," said AJ Griffin, a 6-foot-6 forward for the Houston Rockets who played his first two seasons in Atlanta. The 21-year-old made the announcement in an online video.
"I know that in a lot of people's eyes, that seems like a loss," Griffin added. "But I just want to let you guys know that I'm super excited. … 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."
Griffin was the 16th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in 2022 after playing one season at Duke, where he earned ACC All-Freshman honors while averaging 10 points per game. In high school, he was a five-star recruit and a member of the McDonald's All-American team.
He averaged 8.9 points per game during his rookie season for the Hawks but saw a diminished role during his second season while battling an ankle injury. He was traded to Houston during the offseason. His original contract with the Hawks was worth $17 million.
He became a Christian in 2020, he said in the video.
"It was the best decision of my life. It truly was. And I think my values started to change. My heart started to change," he said.
God revealed to him, he said, that "we're all made to glorify God, we're all made with a purpose."
"I just love spreading the Good News of the Gospel because I know how much it's changed my life," he said. "I just want to continue to keep sharing the goodness of the gospel to as many people as I can. Now I'm able to have my full devotion to the Lord, and I want to reach people more through my platforms."
Griffin said he sensed God leading him out of basketball.
"You could have all the riches in the world, you know. But the only thing that truly matters, it's a relationship with Jesus," he said. "... Jesus -- He's the only one that could fulfill you. He's the only one that can give you purpose. And I feel like the Lord was calling me to let go of basketball, to truly just serve Him more."
WATCH: Why I Decided to quit Basketball… #nba | A.J. Griffin
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/NBA Up Close
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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