9 NBA Players Who Boldly Share Their Christian Faith

2. Cam Johnson

Forward Cam Johnson, 28, played four seasons with the Phoenix Suns before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets in February 2023. Now he’s in the middle of a career year, trying to help his new team land an Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Johnson, who is Catholic, used to wear jersey #23 in honor of Psalm 23, which he recites before games. During a 2021 press conference, Johnson said, “My grandma, she’s a prayer warrior to the fullest extent, and she kind of told my dad to use this Bible verse as a prayer every time you go into a game, into a competition, into an important meeting, whatever it may be. And he instilled that down into me.”

The number 23 also belonged to Michael Jordan, a childhood hero of Cam Jordan Johnson. But the Nets star is clear about prioritizing faith over sports.

During a recent appearance on the “Travis Hearn Podcast,” Johnson told his former chaplain about the value of pregame chapel services. “It’s like doses of church before every game. Doses of the Word. Doses of faith,” the athlete said. Johnson added that faith not only motivates him but keeps him steady amid stressors.