AJ Griffin says he 'gave up basketball to follow Jesus'

Former first-round draft pick AJ Griffin revealed that he chose to leave the NBA after just two seasons in order to become a full-time minister.

"I'm not sure how long this video is going to be, but to bring it all down in a short summary: I gave up basketball to follow Jesus," the 21-year-old said in a video posted Saturday to his YouTube.

"I know ... that seems like a loss in the world's eyes, but I just want to let you guys know that I'm super excited because I truly get to serve God with my full yes. I feel like letting go of basketball has allowed me to go into full-time ministry and truly serving the Lord with all my heart, with all my time, too, as well."

The 21-year-old explains he first decided to devote himself to his faith in 2020. He's posted several videos discussing scripture to his YouTube dating back to October 2022, weeks before making his NBA debut with the Atlanta Hawks.

Selected 16th overall by Atlanta in 2022, Griffin played two seasons with the club before it shipped him to the Houston Rockets this summer as part of a three-team deal. Though he impressed as a rookie coming off the bench for the Hawks, he failed to reproduce those results as a sophomore and eventually fell out of Atlanta's rotation entirely.

Following his move to Houston, he played five Summer League games in July before a report surfaced earlier this month that he was considering quitting professional basketball. He agreed to a reported $250,000 contract buyout with the Rockets.