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At just 21 years old, AJ Griffin is leaving basketball. He gives up an NBA career that seemed solid to "follow God". The news of his possible retirement was brought forward a couple of weeks ago by journalist Shams Charania.
"I have left basketball to follow Jesus. This all started in 2020 when Christ came into my life. Basketball was my ion, my reason for living, but when I found God, He showed me that we are all made to glorify Him, that we all have a mission that He has entrusted to us," explained the 1.98-meter player in a video posted on YouTube.
Griffin had a promising NBA career. He was selected 16th overall in the 2022 draft by the Atlanta Hawks. In his first season in Atlanta he averaged 8.9 points with 39 percent in three-pointers and 19.5 minutes on the court in 72 games. His performance dropped in the second, last year, with 8.6 minutes in 20 games and 2.4 points with 25.6 percent from the arc.
He already took a break for personal reasons
He was not helped by the knee and ankle injuries he had throughout the season. In December he even stopped his basketball activity due to personal reasons. "I'm glad to be back. It's been great that the team could me during this time. I want to be brief and not reveal everything," he said at the time. It can be inferred that he was already thinking about his future.
"Leaving basketball allows me to devote myself to the Church full time and to serve God with all my heart. This may seem like a defeat in the eyes of many people, but I want you all to know that I am very excited," said Griffin, who was set to earn $3.6 million this season. His deeply held beliefs were evident on his social networks, as the vast majority of his posts dealt with religious content.
AJ, the son of former player and coach Adrian Griffin, was named the best high school player in the state of New York and one of the most promising young players in the United States. He spent one year at Duke University before being drafted by the Hawks, with whom he played 92 games over two seasons. Last summer he was sent to the Rockets and, without making his regular season debut with them, he is now retiring. God's call has been more powerful than the call of basketball.