A.J. Griffin reveals reason for shock NBA retirement at 21 years old: ‘Truly serving the Lord’

The Practice has taken on a new meaning.

A.J. Griffin, the 16th overall pick from the 2022 NBA Draft, is now on the path towards ministry. 

“I gave up basketball to follow Jesus,” Griffin said in a video posted to his YouTube channel on Sunday. “I know that, in a lot of people’s eyes, that seems like a loss … I’m super excited because I truly get to serve God.”

The son of Adrian Griffin — the veteran NBA player and short-tenured head coach of the Bucks — Griffin Jr. is stepping away from basketball after two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. 

As had previously been reported, the 21-year-old was seriously considering retirement, citing undisclosed personal and family-related reasons.

That news came in mid-September, three months after the three-team trade that had sent Griffin from Atlanta to Houston.

On Sept. 20, the Rockets announced they were officially buying out Griffin’s contract for a reported $250,000— a fraction of the nearly $10 million the forward was set to earn over the final two years on his rookie contract. 

“I feel like letting go of basketball is allowing me to, you know, go into full-time ministry and truly serving the Lord with all my heart. With all my time too,” Griffin said in the YouTube video. 

The Duke alumnus looked like he could develop into an effective role player in Atlanta, appearing in 72 games and averaging 8.9 points during his rookie campaign.

Griffin’s 39% clip from beyond the arc was the second-highest among those selected in 2022, trailing only Sacramento’s Keegan Murray at 41.1%

That was as good as it would get for Griffin on the court. During his age 20 season, he missed time at the beginning of the season for personal reasons and was unable to crack the rotation upon returning.

Griffin appeared in only 20 games and his averages fell— 2.4 points in 8.6 minutes per game, and a more earthly .256 from 3. 

With NBA training camps opening tomorrow, Oct. 1, Griffin’s decision leaves the Rockets’ in a bit of a spot. 

According to The Athletic, the franchise didn’t anticipate its recent acquisition’s early retirement, and it has no plans to fill his roster spot. 

Maybe the Hawks should have watched some of his other YouTube videos: “What is God telling you to let go of?” Griffin asks in a video posted Nov. 2023.