Phoenix Suns’ Cameron Johnson shares meaning behind jersey No. 23
Why does Phoenix Suns’ forward Cameron Johnson wear the No. 23 on his jersey? It’s a divine number for him and he thinks about it before every game, he shared at a press conference.
“It comes from my grandma,” the 25-year-old basketball player told reporters, according to a video shared on Twitter.
Johnson explained: “My grandma, she’s a prayer warrior to the fullest extent, and she kind of told my dad to use this Bible verse as a prayer every time you go into a game, into a competition, into an important meeting, whatever it may be. And he instilled that down into me.”
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“So Psalm 23 has been a verse I’ve always said before every game, and then I say [it] now during the national anthems. I’ve said it during the national anthems since high school, but it’s the reason I wear 23.”
Johnson added that he was “a huge [Michael] Jordan fan” while he was growing up. “So 23 is a huge number of significance to me. … There’s no number that has the tie to me as 23 does because of Psalm 23 and because of ... my middle name is Jordan and I watched Jordan videos growing up like none other.”
Psalm 23 talks about a believer’s trust in God.
Johnson’s mother is a school nurse in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Before a game in February, the NBA player thanked the healthcare workers for their efforts.
“I’d like to thank you all for being here today as we celebrate our healthcare heroes,” Johnson said in a speech, Arizona Republic reported at the time. “Myself, my teammates, our staff, we recognize your incredible commitment and service at all times, but especially over the past year through such unprecedented challenges.”
Johnson is vocal about his faith in God also on social media.
