Even once Jesus did start working on a skill, the Faith does not oblige us to hold that he would automatically have been the best in human history at that skill.

Skills come in degrees, and the degree to which you have a skill depends on your natural aptitude for it and how much effort you have put into practicing it. In my mind I am struggling to envision a teenage Jesus who never ever makes a mistake. Nobody likes being around someone who is perfect—someone who never loses a game, never stubs his toe, never over sleeps, never hit his thumb with the hammer. However, Jesus was meek and humble of heart (Matt. 11:29), and people do find it attractive when a person has high skill levels but is humble. Kenny Anderson:​ In the population of the world we don’t have too many left-handed people in general. So the people that are left-handed are very special in a positive way. We’re very unique people. As one born into a non-glorified human condition, Jesus did not start with all physical perfections. He grew and developed like we do.

Today's Devotional

Also, whether a sports team wins generally doesn’t depend on the actions of just one person. That’s why they’re team sports. Even if Jesus were the greatest basketball player in history, his teammates (e.g., a ragtag bunch of Galilean fishermen) could lose the game.

Jesus would have appeared to others as an unusual child—unusually intelligent, unusually holy, etc.—but not so otherworldly that people automatically recognized him as the Son of God. In fact, that’s very attractive, and Jesus’ humility no doubt played a significant role in his popularity. Jesus Christ understandably means a lot of things to a lot of people. For centuries mankind has debated everything from His birth to His hair texture, and although there are currently over 2.2 billion Christians worldwide, a reported 33,000 different denominations tells us there have clearly been some disagreements along the way. But we're not here to discuss the nuances of biblical text or minor discrepancies concerning His diet. Nor are we here to ridicule or offend. Dr. Gary Evans: RICE is key. But I don’t think that they would know that.​ I don’t think there was much ice around those days, so I don’t think He’d be able to ice [an injury]. And I don’t know if He would think of elevating it, which is the main thing we would do today. I suppose He’d be pretty good if he had a pair of Jordans, I guess.Spurs Jesus: For some reason, I just get this feeling that Jesus wearing the outfit He puts on would put Him at a handicap, with the sandals and the robe. I think that He would be able to pull up the J all day long. He can pretty much make sure that shot went in anytime He wants, you know? Kobe Bryant was originally supposed to play Shuttlesworth. “Thank you but no thank you,” Bryant says. “This summer is too big for me.” And then, Ray Allen ends up snagging the historic role as Shuttlesworth. The history of the NBA almost went in an entirely different direction. Had Kobe accepted the role, maybe Ray Allen wouldn’t have gone on to make more three-pointers than anyone else in NBA history!! Was Jesus Shuttlesworth a real person? Jake, on the other hand, has experienced a transformation of his own. Shown in the stark difference of his treatment between his wife and Dakota Burns, a prostitute whom he befriends and treats nicely.

Historian Cavan Concannon: There are these stories about Jesus that don’t make it into the bible—these really ancient stories. One of them is a book called The Infancy Gospel of Thomas. There are stories of Jesus as a kid, and [how] Jesus did all sorts of crazy things in His village to freak people out and mess with them. Spurs Jesus: You know what, I’ll go with my man Marco Belinelli. Just because Belinelli looks like he could stand in as a Jesus double. And he is just a stand-up guy who has one hell of a three ball. A walk-up song is the music that is played over the loudspeakers as a baseball player walks up to the plate, and when a new pitcher takes the mound. You can learn a lot about the player based on the type of music he/she chooses. While some players choose music based on the beat, others make their selection because the lyrics have meaning. For Christian athletes, these lyrics are an opportunity to profess their faith in a public way. Here are a few of our favorite Christian walk-up songs!

While the fictional character is not solely based on one single real-life person, his story is extremely similar to Stephon Marbury’s life story. Some even say that the movie is based on Marbury, but no one would ever admit that. Spurs Jesus: Compassion? Maybe. Take it easy? No. But I would say that He would forgive a hard foul. In basketball, height is an advantage, but the Church does not hold that Jesus was the tallest man in history. Whether you need directionality on choosing your walk-up song or want to help your child choose one, consider the following Christian walk-up and pre-game songs. Kenny Anderson: He would be awesome. Better than Michael Jordan, Kobe, LeBron. No doubt. He blessed all of them to play the game, so He would be the top player. Top rebounder, top offense, top crossover, top 3-point shooter. He would be able to do everything. He could be like, "I want to win ten championships," and He’s going to win ten championships. If He wants to do it, He’s going to do it. So it be cool.

Chad’s #2: In basketball, one person can change everything unlike in any other team sport. Jesus Christ changed everything.

Dr. John Brummer: I mean, if He’s Jesus He does not have to be strong. I think it’s more genetic than anything. Strength of ligaments and previous injuries and stuff like that. [Though] I would not encourage playing sports in sandals. Just think of the difference this makes when someone grasps that their sport can be worship - perhaps you are realising this for the first time now. God is not distant from the thrill you get when you play sport. He is not remote from the highs and lows of the competition. Your beating heart is his beating heart, your joy is his pleasure. After all he is the one who gave us the gift of sport. Spurs Jesus: I’ll tell you what: It’s almost impossible to do a crossover in a robe. Trust me. I’ve tried. What people don’t like are know-it-alls and show-offs: people who have high skill levels and are arrogant about it.