Alright, so you wanna know about them NBA fellas who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, huh? Well, lemme tell ya, it ain’t somethin’ I know a whole heap about, but I’ll tell ya what I heard and what I can piece together. It’s like this, them basketball boys, they runnin’ and jumpin’ and whatnot, but some of ’em, they got this Jehovah thing goin’ on.
What’s this Jehovah thing all about anyway?
Now, from what I gather, these Jehovah’s Witnesses, they’re real serious about their Bible. They believe in God, Jehovah, and they try to live by what the Bible says. They go door-to-door, talkin’ to folks, and they got their own way of doin’ things. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that, I reckon. Everyone’s gotta believe in somethin’, right? Whether it’s God, or good luck charms, or just plain hard work, that’s their business.
So, who are these NBA players with this Jehovah thing?
Well, I heard tell of a few. There’s this fella, Dewayne Dedmon, plays for the Miami Heat, they say. Big fella, strong as an ox, but quiet-like. Apparently, he’s one of them Witnesses. Then there’s these other two, Danny Granger and Darren Collison, used to play for the Pacers. Good players, both of ’em, but they ain’t playin’ no more, far as I know. Heard one of ’em even quit playin’ to focus on his Jehovah stuff. Guess it’s pretty important to ’em.
How do they do it, playin’ ball and bein’ a Witness?
That’s the thing that gets me. See, this NBA life, it’s a whirlwind. Travelin’ all the time, games every other night, all that money and fame… it’s a lot. And these Witnesses, they got rules, ya know? They don’t celebrate birthdays or holidays, and they gotta go to their meetin’s and do their preachin’. So how they do both? I reckon it ain’t easy. They gotta be real strong in their faith, I guess. Gotta be disciplined, too. Can’t be out carousin’ all night with the other players. Gotta be careful who you hang out with, what you do. It’s like walkin’ a tightrope, I imagine. One wrong step, and you’re fallin’ off.
- Dewayne Dedmon: Still playin’ for Miami Heat. Big fella, quiet type.
- Danny Granger: Used to play for the Pacers. Good shooter.
- Darren Collison: Another Pacers fella. Heard he quit to be a better Witness.
Why did that fella quit playin’?
Now, that Darren Collison, he’s the one that really makes ya think. He was a good player, makin’ good money, I bet. But he up and quit. Said he wanted to focus on his faith, on helpin’ people learn about Jehovah. That takes guts, ya know? Walkin’ away from all that money and fame. Musta really believed in what he was doin’. It ain’t somethin’ you see every day, that’s for sure.
It ain’t easy, this Witness life, I tell ya.
Imagine you’re that Dedmon fella. You’re playin’ in front of thousands of people, all cheerin’ and hollerin’. Then you go home, and you’re readin’ your Bible, talkin’ about God. Two different worlds, ain’t they? And you gotta keep ’em both balanced. Gotta stay true to yourself, true to your beliefs. It’s like havin’ two jobs, I reckon. One pays the bills, the other feeds the soul. And sometimes, one takes over the other. Like that Collison fella, he chose his soul job over the money job.
So, what does it all mean?
Well, I don’t rightly know. But it tells me that these NBA fellas, they’re more than just basketball players. They’re people, with beliefs and values. And they ain’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in, even if it means walkin’ away from somethin’ big. It makes you think, don’t it? About what’s really important in life. Is it the money? The fame? Or is it somethin’ more? Somethin’ like faith, like family, like helpin’ folks. That’s somethin’ everyone gotta figure out for themselves, I guess.
These fellas got their own path to walk, just like the rest of us.
And it ain’t for me to judge how they walk it. If they wanna play ball and be a Jehovah’s Witness, that’s their business. As long as they ain’t hurtin’ nobody, I say good for ’em. It takes all kinds to make a world, ya know? And maybe, just maybe, their story can teach us somethin’. About courage, about faith, about followin’ your heart, even when it ain’t the easy path. That’s the way I see it, anyway. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go make some supper. All this talk about basketball and religion has made me hungry.
More about those Jehovah’s Witnesses, you know…
I hear tell they don’t do no holidays or birthdays. No Christmas trees, no Thanksgiving turkeys. That’s somethin’, ain’t it? All them other players havin’ big parties, and these fellas sittin’ it out. And they don’t do blood transfusions neither, from what I hear. Even if they need it to save their lives. That’s a tough one, right there. But they say it’s in the Bible, so they stick to it. Gotta admire that kind of conviction, even if you don’t understand it.
It ain’t about the basketball, is it?
It’s about more than just puttin’ a ball in a hoop, see? It’s about who these fellas are as people. About the choices they make, the things they believe in. And it ain’t always easy, bein’ different. Especially in a world like the NBA, where everyone’s lookin’ at you, judgin’ you. But these fellas, they’re doin’ it their way. And that’s somethin’ to be respected, I reckon.
