There were millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide, including over a million in more than 10,000 congregations in the United States. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that we are in the latter days of a corrupt world and that when the Apocalypse arrives, only real believers will be allowed eternal life.
Today, Multiple NBA players are also members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The world’s most prominent basketball league is extremely varied, with players of all ethnicities, races, religions, and even sexual orientations.
As per Sportskeeda, Jehovah’s Witnesses is a Christian sect founded in the 1870s. It will have over 100,000 congregations by 2022, with many of its members being world-renowned athletes.
Throughout its history, some members of the NBA have belonged to this denomination, and one player has even retired to focus on his health, but before knowing about Danny Granger, Dewayne Dedmon, Darren Collison, Willie Wise, and Dave Meyers, NBA players who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, Let’s take a quick look at,
What are Jehovah’s Witnesses?
In 1870, a man called Charles Taze Russell began leading Bible studies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Taze also formed the Bible Student movement, which led to the Jehovah’s Witnesses movement.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are a people of faith that many of us likely don’t know much about. We may remember them as the people who often come to our homes to evangelize.
As per Christianity, Jehovah’s Witnesses are devoted to God the Father; their name is derived from the Tetragrammaton, written as YHWH or JHVH and articulated as Yahweh or Jehovah.
NBA players who are Jehovah’s Witnesses
1) Danny Granger
Danny Granger (born on April 20, 1983) is a 39 years old former Professional Basketball Player who began his career in 2001 by playing for “Bradley Braves men’s basketball,” but his professional Journey started when in 2005; Indiana Pacers first drafted him after a two-year college term in New Mexico.
He is mostly a Small Forward but has also played Power Forward. He can also begin the team’s offense and is considered capable of playing the Point Forward position.
Granger has played for ten seasons in the NBA. From 2005 to 2014, he Played for Indiana Pacers; after that, in 2014 joined “Los Angeles Clippers,” and for “Los Angeles Clippers,” Danny played for just half a year because on July 14, 2014, he joined “Miami Heat.”
Danny was raised in a devout family by Jehovah’s Witnesses, and he has always maintained a high personal standard that has set him apart from the herd. However, Granger was baptized in 2017.
2) Dewayne Dedmon
Dewayne Dedmon, who is 7 feet tall, is a standout role player in the NBA. He’s a hardworking player who understands his position on the court and does all in his ability to help his team win.
He would not be in the NBA if it weren’t for his mother. Dedmon was reared in a Jehovah’s Witness family, and his mother, Gail Lewis, prevented him from playing basketball.
Dewayne’s Journey is inspiring because it shows that everything is possible with hard work and dedication, yet he is reaching the conclusion of his career and has yet to receive a championship ring. Despite this, he has considerably improved every squad he has been on.
3 ) Darren Collison
Darren Collison has 10 years of NBA experience. Collison was chosen by the New Orleans Hornets in 2009 and has subsequently played for the Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Sacramento Kings. The 35-year-old point guard averaged 12.5 points per game and 5.0 assists per game during his career. He spent three years with the Sacramento Kings and four years with the Indiana Pacers.
Collison retired in 2019 to devote his time to his faith. He took this decision at the age of 31, and after a season with the Pacers, he averaged 11 points and 6 assists, but in December 2021, Darren returned to the NBA and signed a 10-day deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. He only appeared in three games before being discharged by the Lakers when his contract expired.
4) Willie Wise
Willie Was (born on March 3, 1947, age 75) is better known by his nickname “Wonderous Willie” in the world of basketball; he began his basketball playing Journey in 1965 by playing for the “City College of San Francisco” Team for them Willie played until 1967, and after that, he Joined “Drake Bulldogs men’s basketball.”
In 1969 Willie got the chance to become part of the American Basketball Association’s (ABA) Team “Los Angeles | Utah Stars,” and after that, he joined “Virginia Squires,” and that’s how Wise became one of the players who played for nine full seasons for the American Basketball Association (ABA) because after the Merger of NBA & ABA in 1976 and after that, from 1976 to 1977 he played for Denver Nuggets and Seattle SuperSonics and his playing career ended due to his knee injury.
In an interview with “apbr.org,” Willie said that “I was very pro-God at the time and would read the Bible. I was talking to a reporter at the Final Four and told him that if I were to get drafted, I would probably not go to the team and just become a Jehovah’s Witness minister. I thought we were talking off the record, but he wrote it in his paper, and many teams stayed away from me because of that.”
5) Dave Meyers
David William Meyers, aka Dave Meyers (April 21, 1953, to October 9, 2015), was a legendary American basketball player who began his playing career in 1972 with UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), but his life changed in 1975 when Dave signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers at 1.6 million dollars or thereabouts for five years and just after a week he was dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Dave Meyers had become a well-known personality during his NBA playing career, but on April 30, 1980, Meyers made a surprising revelation that he was retiring from basketball to spend more time with his family and devote more attention to his Jehovah’s Witness beliefs.
Meyers was baptized in August of 1977, and he pioneered in 1978, “which means he averaged 60 hours or more a month in spreading the good news of God’s Kingdom,” and it was also during the 1977-78 season that he enjoyed his best year in the NBA.
But he was starting to resent the time basketball was taking away from my preaching! He still enjoyed basketball but was growing to like his preaching activity much more.