After the Denver Nuggets steamrolled the Orlando Magic in their fifth-consecutive win Saturday, several athletes and coaches returned to the shiny court that night to make another winning play—praise Jesus Christ.
Star players on the NBA basketball team appeared for the annual Faith Night gathering at the Pepsi Center in Denver to testify to their faith in God and encourage discipleship.
“If we are serious about God, if we are serious enough to go out and serve the Lord, he will do marvelous things in our lives,” said assistant coach Patrick Mutombo.
Mutombo led the testimonies before hundreds of fans in the stands. He bowed his head and raised an arm in prayer with forward Quincy Miller and guard Randy Foye, who scored double- digit points earlier during the game.
He said at some point Jesus will ask each person, “Who do you say I am?”
Mutombo faced this question at 19 years old after coming to the United States to play basketball.
“I was broken, I was hurt and at that point the Lord asked me, ‘Who will you serve?'” he told the fans. “And I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ.”
The crowd belted “Amen” to proclamations that Jesus is the answer to life. They also raised their hands with the Nuggets’ J.J. Hickson, Jordan Hamilton, Anthony Randolph and Nate Robinson who gathered to pray.
K-Love FM-91.1 Christian music station and the Colorado Christian University partnered to sponsor the Faith Night intended to reach out and minister to new people, said Kayleigh Bland, promotions manager for the station.
“Our main goal is letting them see the love of Christ,” she said.
The station also sponsored a concert by contemporary Christian musician Chris August, whose popular song “Starry Night” topped Christian billboards.
Before August’s performance, Mutombo closed the testimonies saying the “world needs believers.”
“It is OK to praise God in public. It is OK to say alleluia to Jesus Christ,” Mutombo told the crowd. “We need to show love and compassion, because the spirit of God is within us and the world is starving for love.”
