In the NBA, we have had many players from different religions over the years. The majority of the players are Christians, with some of them even being Jehovah’s witnesses. They are a group with nontrinitarian beliefs that are different from the norms in Christianity.
Jehovah’s witnesses add up to about 8 million across the entire globe and many more attend the memorials. To date, we haven’t had many who have become a part, but according to various reports, there have been 3 NBA players.
Recently, there has been a standup comedian who revealed her old relationship to the world with an ex-NBA player who is currently a Jehovah’s witness. The entire world turned its heads as it was trying to figure out who it could be. It was Brittany Schmitt who claimed that the anonymous player claimed that she should repent of her actions in the past. When Schmitt talked about who it could be, she mentioned it was a light-skinned player.Darren Collison retired from the NBA in 2019 to become a Jehovah’s witness
Darren Collison played for numerous teams during his NBA career. He was in the NBA from 2009 till 2019. The New Orleans Hornets (now the New Orleans Pelicans) drafted him as the number 21st pick at the 2009 NBA Draft. He spent a year there and averaged 27.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 5.7 assists with an FG of 47.7%. That was before Collison moved to the Indiana Pacers in 2010.
Apart from those two teams, the American also played for the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
He played for the LeBron James-led franchise last year on a 10-day contract. Collison was able to average only 1.3 points and rebounds with 0.7 assists in his 3 games for the franchise. The Lakers then released him and Darren hasn’t returned to the NBA since then. He retired in 2019 and publicly announced that faith was one of the reasons why he was ending his NBA career.
“While I still love basketball, I know there is something more important, which is my family and my faith. I am one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and my faith means everything to me,” – now retiring Darren Collison told @TheUndefeated https://t.co/EYDLaDpadd #NBA
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) June 29, 2019
According to ESPN, Collison said, “While I still love basketball, I know there is something more important, which is my family and my faith. I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and my faith means everything to me. I receive so much joy from volunteering to help others and participate in a worldwide ministry. The joy I feel is unmatched. With that being said, I have decided to retire from the NBA.”
Danny Granger and Dewayne Dedmon are also players to follow the faith
Danny Granger was also a Jehovah’s witness and he also played for the Indiana Pacers at some point in his career. The Pacers drafted Granger as the 17th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. Despite the many injuries he faced, the former NBA player featured in the league for a whole ten seasons, before retiring.
Fun fact: Danny Granger is a Jehovah’s Witness, too.
— Joe Beckman (@Beckman24Joe) June 29, 2019
Unlike Collison, Danny did not retire to focus on his faith, but he opted for it in 2017. Including playoffs, Granger averaged 16.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 621 games across his career.
Another player to be part of the group is Dewayne Dedmon. The 33-year-old is the only active NBA player to be a Jehovah’s witness. He currently plays for the Miami Heat as a center. The Golden State Warriors signed Dedmon after he went undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft. Dewayne has averaged 6.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 507 games in his NBA career.
Both Granger and Dedmon were raised by family members who are also reportedly Jehovah’s witnesses. It is still unknown how many more NBA players are of the same faith, apart from the ones who have publicly declared it. But fans have started to claim that it might be Danny Granger as he looks to be the light-skinned one compared to Collison and Dedmon.
With that said, many believe Granger is the player who was in a relationship with Brittany. Many fans have reacted to Granger and his “cousin Keith” as the former NBA player suddenly became relevant once again after a long time. He did have an eventful time in the NBA, as he was once slapped with a hefty fine by the league.
Discussion about this post