9 NBA Players Who Boldly Share Their Christian Faith

10. NBA Chaplain Travis Hearn

Travis Hearn, team chaplain for the Phoenix Suns, is senior pastor at Impact Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. In his latest book, “The Fire Is for You,” the former athlete recounts his recovery from a near-death experience.

As ChurchLeaders reported, Hearn, now 49, suffered a brain aneurysm and stroke in 2022. “Sometimes God’s got to knock you flat on your back in order to get you to look up at him, and that was one of these situations for me,” he said.

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During an appearance last month on the “Sports Spectrum” podcast, Hearn spoke about his miraculous recovery and healing. In the middle of his five-day hospital stay, the pastor couldn’t remember his family members’ names. But as medical staff tested his recall, he suddenly blurted, “Count it all joy.” Hearn’s wife, Natalie, explained to nurses that those words are from the Bible.

Looking back, Hearn said it’s “crazy” that he didn’t know what day or year it was, yet God gave him the words of a Scripture verse that totally fit his current context. James 1:2-3 (ESV) says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”