8 NBA Players Who Boldly Share Their Christian Faith

As the NBA season unfolds, controversy has dominated many of the league’s headlines. But away from the noise, there remains a consistent and often overlooked presence in professional basketball: players who openly identify as Christians and use their platform to point others to their faith.

8 Christian NBA Players Who Proclaim Their Faith

Here are 8 current Christian NBA players who have a heart for basketball and for Jesus.

1. VJ Edgecombe

NBA rookie V.J. Edgecombe benefited from Coach Scott Drew’s J.O.Y. culture at Baylor. After one season there, the shooting guard was drafted third overall this June by the Philadelphia 76ers.

In his first pro game on Wednesday (Oct. 22), Edgecombe scored 34 points—the most in a rookie debut since Wilt Chamberlain in 1959. “This is my dream,” he told reporters afterward. “I prayed for this.”

Edgecombe grew up in the Bahamas, where his family lived off a generator for seven years. His message to young people who face tough obstacles? “If you have faith in yourself and in the Lord,” he said, “I promise you, you’re going to be just fine.”

Edgecombe, 20, lists “Christ follower” in his Instagram bio. He hopes to have a lengthy basketball career but said he knows that “basketball is going to stop” at some point. “How I’m going to approach life after that, I just want to be the best man I can be,” said Edgecombe. “I just want to stay connected to God.”