9 NBA Players Who Boldly Share Their Christian Faith

8. Immanuel Quickley

Guard Immanuel Quickley, who began his NBA career with the New York Knicks, now plays for the Toronto Raptors. He grew up in a Christian family, often attending multiple worship services per week.

After Quickley’s freshman year at Kentucky, someone at his home church prophesied over his life. That’s when he became more serious about faith, making it his own and doing regular devotions.

“I’m a Christian who happens to play basketball; I wanted to get that out there,” Quickley said in a 2020 interview with The Athletic. “I really wasn’t showing my faith and showing who I was for Jesus.” In spring 2020, as a first-round pick, Quickley had the words to Romans 8:28 embroidered on the inside of his draft-night suit.

Quickley’s father, Marcellous, was slow to embrace his son’s career, fearing that pro sports would interfere with spiritual pursuits. But Immanuel has been eager to prove otherwise. “For [my dad] to understand that I can be an upright Christian and still play basketball at the same time is really big,” said Quickley. Now 28, he shares videos on his YouTube channel about “Walking in My Purpose.”