Alright, let’s talk about these basketball fellas, the ones they call NBA players, yeah, the tall guys who throw that ball around. Some of ’em, they’re like us, kinda. They go to that church, the one with the, uh, long name, somethin’ about Latter-day Saints. Yep, Mormons, that’s it.
Now, I ain’t no sports expert, mind you. I just watch sometimes when the TV ain’t showin’ nothin’ else. But I heard tell of a few of these fellas who are, you know, part of the church. Take that Sam Merrill fella, for instance. They say he played for Utah State, then got picked last in the draft. Last! Can you believe it? But hey, he made it to the NBA, so he must be doin’ somethin’ right. And he’s a church boy, too. Goes to that temple and all that. They even said he got some patience advice from, uh, that big church boss guy, Nelson, I think his name is. Patience, huh? Good thing to have, whether you’re plantin’ corn or throwin’ a basketball.
Then there’s this other fella, Thurl Bailey. Older guy, I reckon. Been around the block a few times. He played ball too, a long time ago. Don’t know much about him, but they say he’s one of them Mormons. See? They’re everywhere, these church folks. Even slam-dunkin’ and whatnot.
- Jabari Parker: He plays for the Celtics now, I think. Big strong fella. He’s one of ’em too, a Mormon. He’s even in somethin’ called the postseason, which sounds important. Guess he’s pretty good.
And don’t forget them two fellas on the Bucks team, that Sam Merrill again and some other guy, Elijah Bryant. Both Mormons! Must be somethin’ in that church water, makin’ ’em all tall and jumpy. It’s kinda like how everyone in my town has big feet because we all walked barefoot on the farm since we were little.
Oh, and I almost forgot! There was this young fella, AJ Griffin. Played for the Hawks, they say. But he up and quit! Said he’s gonna follow Jesus and do church stuff full-time. Well, good for him, I guess. Findin’ Jesus is important, even more important than dribblin’ a ball, I reckon. He was a pretty good player too, they picked him real high in the draft. Sixteenth, they said, whatever that means. Sounds fancy.
Jimmer Fredette! That’s another name I heard. He’s a Mormon too. Played in the NBA a while back. Folks made a big fuss about him, said he was a great shooter. Guess those Mormons, they’re good at shootin’ hoops, just like they’re good at singin’ hymns. You know, I have a nephew, he’s a good shooter too. But all he shoots are squirrels. He ain’t so tall though. Maybe he should have went to church more.
So, there you have it. A bunch of these NBA fellas, they’re Mormons. Just regular folks, I guess, except they’re tall and can bounce a ball real good. And they go to that church, the one with the long name. It just goes to show you, you can find good people everywhere, even on a basketball court. Just like you can find a good tomato even in the worst patch of weeds. It’s all about looking, ain’t it?
It’s kinda interestin’ how different all them players are, comin’ from different places and all, but some of ’em still end up in the same church. Shows ya, maybe we ain’t all that different after all, even if some of us are runnin’ around throwin’ balls and others are just sittin’ on the porch, watchin’ the chickens.
Anyways, that’s all I know about them Mormon NBA players. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go check on my biscuits. Don’t want ’em burnin’ like that last batch. Burnt biscuits are no good, just like a missed free throw when the game’s on the line, I reckon.
Tags：[NBA, LDS, Mormon, basketball players, Sam Merrill, Thurl Bailey, Jabari Parker, Elijah Bryant, AJ Griffin, Jimmer Fredette, religion, faith, sports]
