The Houston Rockets traded for forward AJ Griffin just a few days after the end of the 2023-24 NBA season, but it's looking like he'll never play for them. The 21-year-old agreed to a buyout with the Rockets and was then waived so he could pursue a different passion away from basketball.

On Saturday, Griffin posted a video to his personal YouTube channel that explained why he was stepping away from the NBA.

“I gave up basketball to follow Jesus and I know that in a lot of people's eyes, that seems like a loss,” he disclosed. “But I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm super excited because I truly get to serve God. 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. I'm excited to see where that leads me.”

Griffin recalled that he “gave his life to Christ” in 2020, which was right before he attended Duke University. For the Blue Devils, Griffin averaged 10.4 points per game while shooting 49.3% from the floor and 44.7% from 3-point land. Those impressive statistics helped him go pro because, after one year at Duke, he was selected 16th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2022 NBA Draft.

How did AJ Griffin fare in the NBA?

Apr 14, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) shoots the ball while Atlanta Hawks forward AJ Griffin (14) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

As a rookie, Griffin impressed. He played in a whopping 72 games for the Hawks and even started 12 of them. During his inaugural season, he recorded 8.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per outing while shooting 46.5% from the field.

Although Griffin averaged 19.5 minutes per game as a rookie, those numbers dropped in his sophomore season. He posted just 8.5 minutes per game and saw his shooting percentages drop below 30%. The second-year Hawk spent some personal time away from the team in December and entered only 20 games all season, never scoring over eight points in a single performance.

Despite these struggles, Griffin still showed a lot of appreciation for basketball and the NBA as well.

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“Basketball is my everything. I thought that was the reason why I was living,” he admitted. “It's not what we do that makes us, but it's who you are. And when you come to Christ, your identity is in Christ.”

The former first-round pick comes from a religious family, as Griffin's grandfather served as a Christian pastor in Kansas. He also comes from a basketball family. Griffin's father is Adrian Griffin, former head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and NBA journeyman. He also has a brother, Alan, who briefly played in the G-League and a sister, Audrey, who still plays for the renowned UConn Huskies.

While some might wonder why Griffin retired before reaching his athletic prime, he explained that he was being called to leave basketball behind.

“I'm just thankful. I don't regret anything,” he stated. “I felt like the Lord was calling me to let go of basketball, to truly just serve him more.”

AJ Griffin then thanked everybody who was a part of his journey to the league, including the Rockets and Hawks.

“To my fans, to my agents, to my family, to everyone who has supported me along this journey, I just want to say thank you,” he said. “You guys truly love me for me, not just because I play basketball. I want to thank the NBA as well. Thank you to everyone who's given me the opportunity to show my gifts of basketball to the world. I'm excited for this new journey.”

As Griffin gets set to begin the next phase of his life, Houston will prepare to build off of a promising season. Under head coach Ime Udoka, the Rockets finished 41-41 during the 2023-24 campaign and were much closer to a playoff spot than many imagined they'd be. A few more wins this season could be enough for them to sneak into the playoffs for the first time since 2020.