David Robinson of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs was often accused of being "soft" because of his Christian beliefs. After leading the team to its first NBA championship in 1999, he refuted that claim:

This championship is gratifying on so many levels. One of them is that Avery (teammate and fellow Christian Avery Johnson) and I have given evidence that having a strong religious faith doesn't mean that you can't be a tough competitor.