“Jesus is coming sooner than the world thinks,” wrote AJ Griffin in his recent tweet on the way to preach about him. From Dave Cowens abruptly leaving the Boston Celtics to become a taxi driver in 1976 to Michael Jordan’s sudden MLB stint, the NBA has witnessed its fair share of unconventional retirements. Yet few departures have sent shockwaves through the basketball community quite like AJ Griffin’s recent decision to hang up his sneakers for clerical robes. This has left the fans and analysts wondering about one thing: could this be yet another chapter in the league’s book of temporary goodbyes? Not according to this former Atlanta Hawks star.

In the recent episode of the ‘Club 520‘ podcast, DJ Wells, while discussing the rapper Project Pat, suddenly brought up the topic of the recent retirement announcement by the Atlanta Hawks shooting guard AJ Griffin. While Wells stated that Griffin surely could join the league at any moment, Teague obstructed this statement. “AJ Griffin ain’t Jordan, bro. You can’t leave and come back, bro. I figure out that really was for you,” said Teague during the podcast.

The comparison to Jordan’s return inevitably surfaces whenever a player steps away from the game prematurely, as was the case this time. On October 6, 1993, Jordan stunned everyone when he retired from basketball to test his baseball skills. The 29-year-old, at that time, played 127 games with the Minor League team Birmingham Barons. His 17-month hiatus was driven by a combination of burnout and the tragic loss of his father but when he ultimately returned to basketball in 1995, he added three more rings under his name. However, Teague thinks the case with Griffin is different.

At just 21, the small forward has barely scratched the hardwood. Upon that, he was averaging just 7.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 0.8 APG with flashes of brilliance during his two seasons with the Hawks. The only reason that Jordan was welcomed back into the sport was because he still had the fire burning in him and he still had the skills. Contrastingly, in Griffin’s case, he still hasn’t proven himself to be a standout player. So a team agreeing to take him back is quite absurd. “You can’t mince that thing, bro,” said Teague during the podcast.

Ultimately, whether or not AJ Griffin’s retirement will lead to a similar comeback remains to be seen. While the odds may be stacked against such a scenario, the allure of witnessing a player defy expectations and make a triumphant return to the court is undeniable. But what did the young small forward actually say in his statement?

AJ Griffin’s official retirement statement

The 21-year-old was selected as the 16th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. While most players see dreams of becoming the greatest in the league, we can say Griffin was different from them. After just playing 2 seasons with the team, Griffin decided to announce his retirement by posting a YouTube video on September 29th.

In the video, the small forward clearly mentioned that he wanted to dedicate his life to Jesus Christ. “To bring it all down to a short summary, I gave up basketball to follow Jesus. I know that in a lot of people’s eyes, this seems like a loss, but I just want to let you guys know I’m super excited because I truly get to serve God with my full yes,” said Griffin in the video.

“I feel like letting go of basketball is allowing me to go into full-time ministry and truly serve the Lord with all my heart, with all my time too, as well. I’m just excited where that leads me,” the young Hawk added.

The news of Griffin’s retirement has come as a shock to fans, teammates, and the entire basketball community. Many were expecting the young player to have a long and successful career in the NBA. However, his announcement also offers a glimpse that for some players, some things hold more importance than playing.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.