“I gave up basketball to follow Jesus,” Griffin, now 21, said in a video posted to YouTube. “I feel like giving up basketball allows me to go into full-time ministry and truly serve the Lord with all my heart. Even with all my time. … I felt like the Lord was calling me to give up basketball and serve him more.”

For Griffin, a Duke product who was drafted 16th overall in the first round of 2022, the announcement marks the end (at least for now) of an unusual two-plus-year career in professional basketball.

After an encouraging rookie season (2022-23) in which Griffin averaged 8.9 points (39.0% on 3-pointers) in 19.5 minutes for the Hawks, he played as a sophomore in the NBA Only 20 games a year (with just 8.6 minutes per game). Dealing with on-field altercations and off-court tragedies. He missed several weeks for personal reasons.