Religion is of paramount importance for a lot of the sportment in the professional sports realm. Some of them believe that their performance is in the hands of God they pray. Hence, there are some in the NBA who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. In this article, how many ex NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses will be discussed, along with the value of their beliefs in the practical realm and how they engaged professionally in basketball while practising their religion.
What is Jehovah’s Witness?
Prior to understanding ‘How Many Ex NBA Players Are Jehovah’s Witnesses’, we should dig deeper into the relationship between NBA players and the Jehovah’s Witness faith. Jehovah’s Witnesses are associates of a Christian-based religious group that follows stringent doctrinal teachings. Their beliefs are different from mainstream Christianity in multiple ways:
Monotheistic Beliefs: Jehovah’s Witnesses have faith in a single God whom they call Jehovah. They do not believe in the Trinity and scrutinize the idea of Jesus having equal position as God.
Non-Participation in Nationalism and Politics: Jehovah’s Witnesses do not engage in any kind of politics or celebrate any national holidays or birthdays. This is because of their faith that such practices contradict their religious guidelines.
Evangelism and Door-to-Door Preaching: Jehovah’s Witnesses are mainly popular for their door-to-door evangelism and emphasis on sharing the lessons of the Bible.
Stringent Moral Code: They comply with the strictest moral code while avoiding wrong behaviours.
How Many Ex NBA Players Are Jehovah’s Witnesses?
It is quite challenging to evaluate how many ex NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses, as many of them opt not to reveal their religion publicly. However, we can consider that there are many players from the past who committed to Jehovah’s Witnesses. Whereas, very few of them have shown importance of their faith in their daily life and work.
The most-searched question- ‘how many ex NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses’ or ‘how many nba players are jehovah witnesses’ or ‘how many ex nba players are jehovah witnesses’ are relevant to sponsored athletes and the press since it is not normal to hold religious obligations for professional sportsmen.
Popular Ex NBA Players Active on Jehovah’s Witnesses
It is not easy to answer how many ex NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, some of the popular former NBA players who became Jehovah’s Witnesses are:
Michael Adams
Michael Adams is a retired professional basketball player and an ex nba player jehovah witness. He is mainly known for playing with the Denver Nuggets and the Washington Bullets. Adams’ speed and style have always been praised. His lethal shooting from the perimeter led to various skills. Although he is an active player, Adams supported his faith openly and became one of the defenders of the religion.
A.C. Green
A.C. Green started his career normally and was recognised for his values that touch human dignity. However, he slowly became a Jehovah’s Witness whose disciples followed his principles of waiting till marriage. He is not being placed in a proper definition of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but his devotion allows more than one to find the dots.
However, how many ex NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses is still a concern that engages much attention. It appears that the players are highly skilled at their game and also drove the game with their faith.
Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller is recognised as a popular figure in the Jehovah’s Witness religion due to his Hall of Fame achievement, which is important in the NBA. He is also known as ex nba jehovah witness. Throughout his almost two-decade career as a professional basketball player in the NBA, Miller brought his faith into his personal life. Jesus Christ followers have shaped his professional life due to the fact that he avoided some elements related to having an image of a public figure.
Vernon Maxwell
Vernon Maxwell discloses his association with Jehovah’s Witnesses while engaging in the game named ‘Houston Rockets. After his retirement, he himself devoted himself into religious beliefs while being absent from social life. However, they are very small in number which cannot properly answer the question- how many nba players are jehovah’s witnesses.
Implications of Religion for Players’ NBA Careers
The impact of the faith on players career is another important question followed by how many ex NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses.
- For past NBA players who believed in the Jehovah’s Witness religion, their belief drove their professional history strongly.
- The witnesses are also likely to motivate their children to prioritise religion over everything else and attend regular services once a week.
- These obligations enter the travel and sports schedule of players in NBA as they cannot be overlooked. This results in complications.
- Sometimes, even players had to stop playing for some time to address their religious obligations. This has made some retired past NBA players geriatric-aged people who play in a limited way any sports or activities associated with the NBA union.
How Did They Manage Religious and Sports?
After partially knowing how many ex NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses, it is important to understand how they used to manage their faith and their professional careers. It is a daunting task to deal with the professional basketball career that encompasses a fixed timetable for the games and other tasks, with the baggage of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The players may often mention the principles where their faith is prioritised. Although their faith confines them to the earth, it also provides them with a greater mission beyond basketball.
Non-violence is a tenet believed by the Jehovah’s Witnesses that may impact the way they act in the actual judiciary. For the basketball sports, these players are self-disciplined and manage to live within boundaries both in the judicial system and outside. Hence, this minimises the risk of distractions related to professional sports.
General Issues of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Though we cannot exactly tell how many ex NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses, we can discuss the problems they had face. Being a Jehovah’s Witness is a pledge and this causes issues very often in the world of sports. Some of the challenges that previous NBA players who are Jehovah’s witnesses face include:
Practicing Every Religion: Mostly ‘W’ witnesses do not believe in secularism, the related festivals, or even engage in the work-related functions that include entertainment. This also impacts sponsored entertainment like the NBA.
Participating in Missionary Activities: Engaging in mission activities is impossible due to the rigorous traveling required in the NBA.
Objection against some activities: Many Jehovah’s witnesses do not respect the national anthem or pay tribute to US flag that may result is problems with the teams or during the games.
Summary
Overall, how many ex NBA players are Jehovah’s Witnesses is a tough question to answer. Some of the prominent ex-NBA players consider themselves as following this faith. However, the number is very low. These athletes have managed issues of complying with a particular religion while participating in the sports world in a professional way. There has been a strong effect of this religion on the sportsperson, which has affected both their personal and professional lives.
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