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Harrison Barnes Faces Former Team: ‘His Relationship With God Comes First’

Photo from Harrison Barnes’ Instagram

Harrison Barnes Faces Former Team: ‘His Relationship With God Comes First’

By Movieguide® Contributor

The Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors are the first-round matchups in this year’s NBA Playoffs.  

The Kings opened playoffs strong with two home-court wins, however, the Golden State Warriors came back with retaliation providing the same result. Which makes the series tied, 2-2.  

In the most recent game, Barnes took the game-winning shot but failed to make it. No one wanted to hit that shot more than Barnes. He was previously drafted by the warriors and spent the first years of his career there.  

Barnes is one of the main reasons that the Kings are in the playoffs this year. His stats have proved to be amongst the most consistent. Barnes has scored 15 points per game and snatched 4.5 rebounds per game. Not to mention his experience has brought great leadership to the team.  

Although Barnes missed the shot, he will come back stronger for Game 5. With Barnes’ faith in Jesus, he knows where his identity is. Barnes calls himself a “devout Christian” and has Acts 4:12 in his Twitter biography.  

On his website, it stated, “Money, fame, and talent can be the top priorities for most professional athletes, but for Harrison Barnes, it’s his relationship with God that comes first. He is a Christian. Ever since he was young, he grew up in the church. His faith has always been a big reason why he plays.” 

Barnes posted on his Instagram, “When you have the single mind, you look on your circumstances as God-given opportunities for the furtherance of the gospel, and you rejoice at what God is going to do instead of complaining about what God did not do. ― Warren W. Wiersbe.”  

With his youth summer retreats, Sunday School attendance and Bible studies, Barnes’ faith began as a young teenager. Barnes led the majority of those Bible studies. He led the group in different passages through discussion and then through prayer.  

“I wanted to leave an impact on the school, and I wanted Christ to be represented there,” Barnes stated.  “So, I wanted to start that Bible study just to get a coalition of believers together and also integrate non-believers in there and just have that fellowship.”  

He continued, “I try to make [God] the center of my life and then just have that infiltrate all other spheres, such as glorifying Him on the basketball floor with all the gifts that He’s given me.” 

Barnes posted on his Twitter a familiar Bible verse, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20 NLT.”  

The Kings prepare for Game 5 on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET in Sacramento, California.