Trey Jemison with the New York Knicks, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
The start of the NBA season is next week, and in addition to preseason games and practices, several players are getting ready by getting in the Word.
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Veteran center Trey Jemison organized a 12-day Bible study on social media with NBA players and other public figures, who shared video devotionals on selected Scripture passages and the lessons they’ve learned from them. Among those who participated were Atlanta Hawks guard C.J. McCollum, Boston Celtics center Luka Garza, New York Knicks forward Josh Hart and Toronto Raptors guard Malachi Smith.
Their reflections touched on trusting God when life feels out of control, persevering through difficult seasons, and finding strength in Him when exhaustion sets in. But for Jemison — who played with the Knicks last year but is now a free agent after being released by the Raptors this week — the Bible study also carried a broader message that Christians should view their workplace and social circles as their mission field.
“You can be a comedian, a songwriter, a basketball player, a mom, a teacher, you can work at Publix, and you can still be a fisher of men,” Jemison said in his video Tuesday. “You can still bring people closer to Christ. You don’t have to be in a pulpit to change lives or speak the Gospel.”
McCollum turned to Proverbs 3:5-6, a passage that has become meaningful to him as he has learned to surrender his desire to control life’s outcomes.
“Oftentimes, we’re not surrendering ourselves,” McCollum said. “We’re not surrendering our thoughts and we feel like we have control over a lot of outcomes, but in reality we just have control over how we respond to most outcomes.”
The NBA veteran, who is entering his 14th season, acknowledged that learning to trust God’s direction rather than his own plans has taken time and patience. That means trusting God when the right opportunity arrives, he said, but also when an opportunity he wants never materializes.
“Oftentimes we’re trying to drive this life and control everything and plan it out,” McCollum said. “But in reality, it’s already been written by our good Lord and we have to trust in His understanding.”
Garza, who was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2021, shared a similar lesson from a different point in his career. When he entered the NBA, he didn’t have much of a relationship with God. The community of believers he encountered around the league, including players who gathered for chapel before games, helped inspire him to pursue that relationship more deeply.
One passage in particular, Galatians 6:9, stayed with him after he heard it in chapel during a difficult season. At the time, he wasn’t playing much, and when he did get on the court, he wasn’t performing as well as he wanted. The experience left him frustrated, making the passage’s encouragement to not grow weary in doing good particularly meaningful.
“It’s tough in those moments. It’s easy, it’s human, it’s natural to almost fall into becoming weary or becoming frustrated or stagnated,” he said. “Hearing this just rejuvenated me.”
As someone who takes pride in his work ethic, Garza said he can fall into the trap of wanting to control the results of his efforts. His faith has helped him recognize the importance of focusing on what he can do each day rather than trying to dictate the outcome.
“I’m the best version of myself when I’m able to let go of that and place my faith and trust into God and understand that there is a proper time, and if I don’t give up, I’ll be able to reap that harvest,” Garza said.
Hart, meanwhile, reflected on Isaiah 40:29-31, a passage he reads before every game. The verses describe God giving strength to the weary and renewing the strength of those who hope in Him. Hart said the passage has become a source of encouragement during the physical and emotional demands of an NBA season.
“There are times during the season and life where I’m tired, I feel exhausted, but I just pray,” said Hart, who helped lead the Knicks to the NBA championship last season. “I seek strength from the Lord and the ability to keep going.”
Hart added that the lesson extends well beyond professional sports. Whatever a person’s profession or circumstances, he said, bringing worries and stress to God can help renew the strength needed to persevere.
For Jemison, the Bible study’s central lesson emerged from the passage that first came to mind when he began the 12-day project: Luke 5:4-10. The passage recounts Jesus calling Simon Peter, a fisherman who recognizes his own sinfulness in the presence of Jesus. Jemison saw a reminder in Peter’s story that God can use people regardless of their profession or perceived qualifications.
“This was so powerful to me because Simon wasn’t a pastor,” Jemison said. “He wasn’t in a pulpit. He was a fisherman and God used him.”
Jemison said he recognized something of himself in Peter’s acknowledgment of his sinfulness.
“But God still uses me,” Jemison said.
When he began sharing Bible studies online, people told Jemison he may one day become a pastor. That wasn’t necessarily something he had envisioned for himself, but as he spent the 12 days praying and studying Scripture, he said he came to see the project as a reminder that sharing the Gospel isn’t limited to people with the title of pastor.
He encouraged people to use the opportunities and platforms God has given them to serve others and point them toward Christ.
“Whatever you are doing in your life, wherever God has placed you at, use that platform to bless others and watch how God blesses you,” Jemison said. “So many people are going to get to Heaven because of your ‘yes,’ because you decided to chase God.”
The NBA season tips off Oct. 20 with the Boston Celtics traveling to play the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. ET.
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