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21-year-old NBA player AJ Griffin is retiring from basketball and will serve the church in the future.
On Sunday, Griffin, who was drafted 16th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2022, announced that he is retiring from basketball to “follow Jesus.”
“I gave up basketball to follow Jesus,” Griffin said. “And I know that in a lot of people’s eyes, that seems like — it seems like a loss in the world’s eyes. But, I just want to let you guys know that I’m super excited because I truly get to serve God, you know, with my full Yes, and I feel like letting go of basketball is allowing me to, you know, go into full-time ministry and truly serving the Lord with all my heart — with all my time too, as well. So, I’m just excited to see where that leads me.”
AJ Griffin, the No. 16 overall pick from the 2022 NBA Draft, has officially announced his retirement at 21-years-old.
Griffin is leaving basketball to pursue a career in ministry. pic.twitter.com/URX9oaEdjk
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) September 29, 2024
Griffin recently received a $250,000 contract buyout after getting waived by the Houston Rockets on Sept. 20 after being traded from the Atlanta Hawks