New York Knicks Star Explains What It Really Means to Be a Christian

Published: February 25, 2026

By Mallory Mattingly

New York Knicks star Trey Jemison tackled what putting your identity in Christ really means, even when you mess up.

“I’m a Christian. What does that mean? It means that I believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. I believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose not just for my sins, but your sins as well,” Jemison began to say in an Instagram video.

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The athlete then read John 3:16 (KJV), which says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

When people find out Jemison is a Christian, they often assume he has his life pulled together and “that your life is just amazing and you’re just holy and low-key stuck up sometimes.”

He’s used to assumptions — ever since high school, people assumed he played basketball because of his height. And Christians will experience something similar.

“What I’ve learned is that…people might assume you’re Christian by your walk. So your walk is very important,” he said. But, we’re all humans and make mistakes, failing to follow God perfectly.

“I can remind people that I’m also a basketball player, and I try my best to make every single shot, make every free throw, and get every rebound, even though I make mistakes,” he continued. “As a basketball player, you have to know in your mind that you won’t ever have a perfect game. The goal is to try your best, even when you make a mistake in a basketball game. The whole goal is to move on. Give yourself grace to keep going.”

“That’s how walking with Christ is. You’ll never be perfect, never have it all figured out. You’ll always be growing closer to God,” he emphasized. “Just because you make a mistake, that doesn’t mean that you’re not a Christian, or that you’re not showing that you are a child of God. It’s part of the game. But the goal is to keep trying so you can then get better. Each season, I try to be better than last season. It goes for life. It goes for basketball.”

Jemison wants you to remember that just because you’re Christian does not mean that you have to be — or will be — perfect. That doesn’t mean we have a license to sin, but when we do fall short of God’s standard, we have a perfect Father ready to forgive us every single time.

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