The American (U.S.) Yahoo! Sports web section has recently published an article on and picked out the five most talented Christian athletes. New York Knicks’s Jeremy Lin, NBA’s rising and renowned Christian athlete, was picked as one of the top Christian athletes by Yahoo. The other four Christian athletes are MLB’s World Series champion Mariano Rivera, NFL’s rising Tim Tebow, USA track and field’s and Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix, and Golf’s 2012 Masters Tournament champion Bubba Watson.
Chinese basketball star, Jeremy Lin, is not only a talented and top basketball player for the New York Knicks. His recent rise in the NBA also gained attention from Chinese households worldwide. Jeremy Lin’s sincere belief in Jesus Christ leaves a deep impression among many people. He uses his speech and action to glorify God.
The fact about Jeremy Lin that the media most talked about is his initiative to invite Anthony Federico, a former ESPN editor who is responsible for the racially offensive headline on Jeremy Lin two months ago, to have lunch together. Lin’s forgiveness and graciousness relieved the tension between him and Federico. This act of Lin’s forgiveness was widely praised by the public.
The New York Yankees’s heart and soul key player, Mariano Rivera, is one of the best relief pitcher in MLB. Among the Christian athletes nowadays, Rivera would not mind sharing his belief in Jesus Christ out in the public. His baseball glove is engraved with a very encouraging verse from the Bible quoting Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."
NFL’s New York Jets new team member, Tim Tebow, is often compared with Jeremy Lin. When Tebow was with the Denver Broncos, prior to being traded to the New York Jets in 2012, Bronco fans captured photos of Tebow praying on one knee after the Broncos won a losing game. The act of copying praying on one knee was later called Tebowing by Tebow and his fans, which was later popularized on the internet by fans.
Tebow was born in Makati City, Philippines, and raised in a Baptist missionary family. He is a sincere evangelical Christian. Tebow’s remarkable performance in the field of his career often receives acclamation and appraisal from critics and he has been repeatedly rated as an outstanding athlete. He said in an interview in 2008 that his faith is the most important thing in his life, then his family and school, and then his career in football.
Bubba Watson just won the championship for the 2012 Golf Masters Tournament yesterday. When expressing his heartfelt feeling on Twitter after winning the championship, Watson indicated that he would like to first give glory, honor, and thankfulness to Lord Jesus Christ.
Allyson Felix is USA track and field’s outstanding athlete. In 2004, Felix won a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She also won a gold medal for the 4x400 m relay at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and is planning to attend the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. With a sincere faith, Felix is determined and dedicated to serve Jesus Christ. Despite her extremely busy schedule, She has set aside time to receive an education at a seminary.
