San Antonio Spurs rookie center Tarris Reed Jr. celebrated his first week in the NBA with another milestone: getting baptized and publicly declaring his commitment to Jesus.
“I wanted to publicly signify my union with Christ and what it means to walk in His grace, mercy, and NEWNESS OF LIFE!” Reed wrote on Instagram alongside a video of his baptism.
The moment came Sunday, Oct. 25, at Community Bible Church in San Antonio, according to Sports Spectrum. The day before, Reed had scored his first NBA regular-season points during the Spurs’ 122-106 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
His basketball introduction had started with a much smaller opportunity: one minute against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 20. The NBA’s official player profile records seven minutes, two points and three rebounds for Reed against Dallas, a step forward for the rookie after his scoreless debut.
But his baptism post offered a different look at the opening week, beyond the numbers on a stat sheet. Reed described arriving home late after his first NBA back-to-back and beginning to understand the demands of an 82-game season.
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On the flight home, he remembered that Sunday was baptism day at his church and sent a text to the pastor. Baptism, he explained, had already been on his heart for some time; the busy start to his professional career became the setting for taking that step.
“The Lord has placed me in a unique position to help others come to know Christ and experience His life changing power,” Reed said, writing that he once wanted nothing to do with the Lord and now wanted to live for Him.
The post also included Romans 6:4, the passage about burial with Christ through baptism and walking in new life. Reed’s emphasis was not simply on reaching the league, but on using the position he now holds to share the Gospel.
That outlook predates his Spurs jersey. In Sports Spectrum’s March coverage of his faith journey, Reed described how a coach at Michigan challenged him to read about Jesus in the Bible, helping him reconsider a faith he had not always prioritized.
“I got to see the world through a whole new lens,” the athlete said.
His college path took him from Michigan to UConn, where he earned Big East Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2025 and first-team All-Big East recognition in 2026. The 23-year-old St. Louis native entered the league as the No. 26 selection in this year’s draft. Those achievements helped carry him toward the NBA, but his public testimony has focused on a change no draft position could measure.
Now, with his first regular-season basket behind him and the long rookie season underway, Reed is making that testimony part of his new chapter in San Antonio. His baptism caption closed with thanks for God’s grace and mercy and the hope that sharing his faith could make an eternal difference in other people’s lives.
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