By Bill Sorrell
John Salmons’ career crisscrossing the country in the NBA has never left him in a state of confusion. There is purpose in every place.
“Wherever I am, I try to find out why God actually has me in that place and try to go from there. He knows the reason this is where He wants me to be at this time. I am trying to keep the faith and trust in God that His plan is perfect. He won’t put me in a situation that I can’t handle,” said Salmons, a forward with the Sacramento Kings. “No matter what team I am playing for or what city I’m living in, God is in control.”
Salmons, 32, has been on four teams since his 26th overall selection in the 2002 NBA draft. He is with Sacramento for a second time.
Early in the lockout-shortened season, Salmons has averaged 9.4 points per game, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists. With the Milwaukee Bucks in 2010 and 2011, he averaged 19.9 points and 14 points, respectively. In 2009, he led the Chicago Bulls to the playoffs with an 18-point average. Drafted out of the University of Miami (Fla.), he began his career with his hometown Philadelphia 76ers in 2002 and was with the team until 2006.
Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia forward, said following the NBA’s bouncing ball when trade decisions are made requires adjustments.
“We are all professionals. We have to understand it comes with the territory. He (Salmons) did a good job handling it,” Iguodala said.
Philadelphia forward Thaddeus Young said of Salmons, “He is a guy that can make the team better every way possible.”
Salmons does that with an explosive first step, intelligence and “slashing-type moves” that Young said score “easy baskets.” He is consistent on defense and offense.
“We ask him to fill in a lot of gaps offensively because he is so versatile. He is a very integral part of our team. We think highly of John,” former Sacramento coach Paul Westphal said.
“Everybody respects him around here,” Sacramento rookie Jimmer Fredette said. “He leads by example.”
Whether he is taking a shot or defending a play, Salmons relies on God.
“I can’t play without Christ. I don’t trust in myself. I trust in God. I am at the point in my life where I know I can’t do anything without God. I try to play for Him,” he said.
Salmons’ actions speak louder than his words, Westphal noted.
“He is very quiet but, at the same time, you know you are going to get an honest day’s work from John Salmons,” Westphal said. “He plays hard every night. He makes very few mistakes.”
With a desire to stay on “that narrow road” to “finish the race,” Salmons reaches for the Bible, along with a GPS.
“The Bible is full of great verses. It always depends on the situation and whatever you are going through at the time or if days are good or days are bad, verses just stand out. I try to stay consistent with reading Scripture,” said Salmons, whose favorite chapter is Romans 8.
Prayer is a pillar for him. “Prayer is my communication with Christ. Just being able to have a dialogue about whatever is on my mind, I know He hears me and is with me,” Salmons said. “Every day, you learn about yourself, through ups and downs. The biggest thing is I’ve got to learn how to live as a Christian in the good times and know how to live as a Christian in the bad times.”
He became a Christian when he was 12 and was baptized at Triumph Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Even before then, Salmons sensed God’s presence in his life. He grew in understanding when he went to college, and Miami team chaplain Steve Debarlaben helped him focus on Christ.
“We are still good friends, and anytime I am going through anything, I can call him to talk about spiritual issues,” Salmons said.
He wants to be a man who leads his family spiritually. He and his wife, Taniesha, have two children, Josiah and Sarai.
Salmons considers the NBA to be a platform, as young people often look up to NBA players.
“Seeing a Christian in the NBA, I hope gives them motivation to be a Christian, to live the right way,” he said.
“I feel like [God] uses basketball to grow me to become a better person, to become the man He wants me to be,” Salmons said.
Transitions from team to team have brought different experiences and people into his life.
“Every team I played on, I met people who are still significant in my life,” he said.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Josh Davis, a former teammate at Philadelphia, called Salmons an “upstanding person” who was “always nice to everybody. He was a fun guy to be a teammate with.”
“I know that there is a purpose to all this. Whatever the reason, I have to learn and grow from it and move on to the next journey,” Salmons said.
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