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Athletes of Faith in Professional Basketball

There are notable people of faith in professional basketball. As a keynote speaker at the 2024 Global Leadership Summit, Coach Mike Krzyzewski spoke on leadership and shared stories of guiding the U.S.A. Olympic Basketball Team in 2008 and 2012. Krzyzewski is a devout Catholic and has “studied leadership his whole life.”

Krzyzewski gave “three As of leadership.”

“Really, holding a team accountable, or the team should hold the leader accountable,” he said. “It should go both ways. You’re making each other better by everyone being responsible.” Multiple NBA players speak of their faith in God, spiritual practices, and upbringing in the church.

Buddy Hield of the Golden State Warriors said he reads the Psalms before every game. And Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young believes, “IF you decide to follow Jesus, you will be different from those around you.”

During a 2019 interview, Young described himself as “a big believer in Christ,” saying God helps him through the ups and downs of playing pro basketball.

Obi Toppin of the Indiana Pacers has been outspoken about his faith and how it carries throughout his life. He shared a prayer, written by a pastor, on social media:

Dear Lord, Today, may I live with the attitude, that what God promised me is still alive. I’m not moved by what I feel, by what’s not working out, by how long it’s been, or by what hasn’t improved. but may You remind me that what You’ve started in my life You will finish. Amen.

“Growing up, my family was very spiritual,” Toppin added. “The combination of my dad being a basketball player and my grandmother always being around praying for us showed me how [faith and sports] build off each other.”