Several NBA Players chose Jehovah’s Witness as their religion, including Danny Granger, Darren Collison, and more
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The NBA is a global league, with over 450 active players on 30 different rosters at any given point. The players in the league come from all parts of the world, from all walks of life, and each has their own faith.
We see players like Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Jusuf Nurkic, and more celebrate the month of Ramadan. At the same time, we have other players who identify as Jehovah’s Witnesses. In case you are wondering what Jehovah’s Witness is, it is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity.
They are best known for their door-to-door preaching, refusing military service and blood transfusions, and their pagan beliefs. In the NBA, we have players who belong to this denomination, including names such as Danny Granger and more.
NBA Players, including Danny Granger, who are/were Jehovah’s Witnesses
Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of players practice different religions. There have been several players who have been known to Jehovah’s Witnesses too. They are:
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 bought him out. The Clippers signed him for the remainder of the season. In 2014-15, he played with the Miami Heat before eventually retiring. Danny found that basketball did not satisfy him and found comfort in the Bible.
Granger was raised in a religious household that was part of the Jehovah’s Witness denomination. However, he was baptized two years after he retired from the NBA.
2. Darren Collison:
Darren Collison was drafted in 2009 by the Hornets. He’s played for several franchises, such as the Hornets, Pacers, Mavericks, Clippers, Kings, and then had a two-year stint with the Pacers before announcing his retirement. Collision cited religious reasons for hanging his boots up at a time when he was expected to sign a big deal. Being a Jehovah’s Witness, Collison prioritized his faith over money.
In 2021, Collison returned to the NBA, on a 10-day deal with the Lakers. Things did not work out, and he was let go once his contract expired. Currently, he’s signed with the South Bay Lakers, the G-League Affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers.
3. Dewayne Dedmon:
Dewayne Dedmon grew up in a religious household where his mother is a Jehovah’s Witness. Due to her religious beliefs, she did not let Dedmon play basketball. However, once he turned 18, he decided to use his rights and defy 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, over and over. Then he signed with the Sixers for two 10-day contracts. Dedmon played for two seasons in Orlando, one with the Spurs, two again with Hawks, and then one with the Kings. Currently, he’s on a 2-year, $9 Million deal with the Miami Heat.
4. Willie Wise:
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 devout member of Jehovah’s Witness. If he wasn’t picked by the Los Angeles Stars of the ABA, Wise claimed he would’ve probably become a Jehovah’s Witness Minister.
5. Dave Meyers:
Dave Meyers was a 2x NCAA Champion with the UCLA Bruins. He was drafted by the Lakers in 1975, but was swiftly traded to the Bucks in order to acquire Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Meyers played five seasons in the NBA, during which he averaged 11.2 points and 6.3 rebounds.
In 1980, after just five seasons in the league, Meyers made a surprise announcement that he would retire to spend more time with his family and focus on his religion, Jehovah’s Witness.
Other Famous Athletes who are Jehovah’s Witness
Jehovah’s Witness is a growing religion, with over 8.2 million practicing worldwide. Along with the above-mentioned 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.
