One year ago, Kevin Durant was in the middle of trying to decide what city he would continue his basketball career in. His decision to join the Golden State Warriors turned out to be one that would land him as the NBA Finals MVP and a world champion.
Now, a week removed from winning his first NBA title, Durant wanted to thank the fans for embracing him and welcoming him to Oakland by taking out a full page ad in the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Thank you, everyone, for making my initial season with the Warriors an incredible and exhilarating championship experience.
“Great accomplishments are never achieved alone and are best when shared with others.” – kD
At the championship parade, Durant shared a similar sentiment with the fans of Golden State.
“We have so much joy when we’re out there on the court,” said Durant. “It means the world to me to win a championship for you guys and hopefully we keep it going … Thanks a lot for your support.”
Kevin averaged 35.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists to complete one of the most dominating performances in NBA Finals history. The Finals MVP has opted out of his contract, but plans to re-sign with Golden State once the official signing period starts in early July.
Michigan's Alyssa Crockett, left, and Jordan Hobbs, right. (Photo courtesy of Instagram/@umichwbball)
THIS IS SPORTS SPECTRUM’S WHAT’S UP PODCAST
WITH ANNABELLE HASSELBECK
On today’s episode of Sports Spectrum’s “What’s Up” podcast, we have Michigan women’s basketball players Alyssa Crockett and Jordan Hobbs.
Alyssa and Jordan share about their time as campers and interns at Athletes in Action’s Ultimate Training Camp, their experience playing for Michigan women’s basketball, and how the Lord is working in their lives.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bows his head before a game, Jan. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Before the NBA Finals tip off Thursday in Oklahoma City, a prayer will be given. There are likely to be some said by Thunder and Pacers players in their respective locker rooms before they take the court, and a prayer will likely close out the pregame chapel service that takes place 60 minutes before every NBA game.
But one prayer in particular will be more public than any other, and is only done in Oklahoma City.
Prior to the national anthem that precedes every NBA game at OKC’s Paycom Center, an invocation is given. For about 30 seconds, the public-address microphone is given to a local faith leader who prays over the players, fans and arena at center court.
The prayer has been part of the Thunder’s pregame routine ever since 2008, when the Seattle Supersonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. But the invocation actually started in 2005, when the New Orleans Hornets temporarily played in OKC after Hurricane Katrina tore through their city.
“The fans, who later became our fans, got used to it, appreciated it and we made the decision very quickly to continue that,” Thunder VP of broadcasting and corporate communications Dan Mahoney told The Oklahoman in April. “It definitely fits into the Thunder culture.”
“We feel it’s a reflection of our community,” Mahoney told The Deseret News in 2018. “Our fans have been very receptive to it. We allow that time, and it’s just something that we’ve done since day one and our fans are very fond of it. We appreciate that opportunity.”
Those who are asked to speak are honored. It’s the only known pregame invocation in the NBA.
“I’m grateful that the Thunder makes this a priority at every game,” Life.Church-Midwest City senior pastor Stefan Reed said. “It not only honors God and acknowledges His authority, but also gives the rest of the league a glimpse into who we are and what we represent. I think it speaks volumes to everyone in the arena, including the other team, that our love for people is bigger than the game itself. I hope each prayer reflects our genuine care for people in a real and meaningful way.”
And with the best team in the NBA, the arena is at full capacity every game. The Thunder won a franchise-best 68 regular-season games this season, the fifth-most in NBA history, and the team has gone 12-4 through three rounds of the playoffs. It’s in the Finals for the first time since 2012, still seeking its first championship (though the 1979 Sonics did win the NBA title).
The Thunder are heavily favored to win it all. It needed seven games to take out the Denver Nuggets in the second round, but swept its first-round series over Memphis and beat Minnesota in five games in the Western Conference Finals. According to BetMGM’s odds, the Thunder are the biggest favorites entering the NBA Finals since 2018. Furthermore, the odds say the most likely outcome is the Thunder winning in five games, and next is a Thunder sweep.
A short series would mean only two or three more games at the Paycom Center this season, and thus only two or three more pregame prayers. But regardless of the season’s outcome, they won’t be the last invocations before Thunder games. The tradition won’t be going anywhere anytime soon — and neither are the Thunder, the youngest team in the NBA this season.
Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield. (AP Photo/Howard Lao)
Between Steph Curry, Draymond Green and midseason acquisition Jimmy Butler, the Golden State Warriors have as much playoff experience as any team in the NBA. Offseason addition Buddy Hield, however, had four career postseason appearances when he joined the Warriors.
But with their season on the line in a win-or-go-home Game 7 Sunday night, it was Hield who propelled No. 7-seed Golden State past the Houston Rockets and into the second round. The nine-year veteran will not forget his performance inside the Toyota Center anytime soon.
Having scored four total points in Games 5 and 6 (both losses), Hield tied a Game 7 record by knocking down nine of his 11 3-point attempts. He went 12-of-15 from the field for a game-high 33 points in the Warriors’ 103-89 victory.
Two players have EVER hit 9+ threes on at least 80% from deep in a Playoff game:
“It’s a childhood dream,” he said in the postgame press conference. “We all talk about Game 7s. We all want to play in Game 7s, but actually playing in a Game 7 and preparing for it is one of the hardest things ever.”
Hield scored 22 of his points before halftime, including a buzzer-beater from halfcourt to end the first quarter.
Speaking with the media after the game, Hield openly discussed the nerves and pressure he felt. He told TNT’s “Inside the NBA” crew that his strong faith in God helped steady him.
“All glory to God, man,” he said. “Without Him this would not be possible. I was really locked in, just keeping my mind right and just talking to God and knowing I had to come through and help my team.”
Hield gave thanks to God again in the postgame press conference.
“Just trying to find my joy,” he said. “I’ve never been in this situation before. Just trying to seize the moment … Tonight was fun. All glory to God.”
Drafted sixth overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2016, Golden State is the fifth different organization Hield — who was born in the Bahamas and won the 3-point contest at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game — has played for. He appeared in all 82 games this season, averaging 11.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
In 2021, he became the fastest player in NBA history to make 1,000 3-pointers, breaking the record held by his now-teammate Curry.
Going back to his college days at the University of Oklahoma, Hield has also been outspoken about his faith in the Lord. He regularly thanks God for “Life, Health and Strength” on X and credits his mom, Jackie Swann, for laying the foundation for his relationship with the Lord.
“Psalm 23 is the one I always read, the main one before my games,” he said in a 2016 Sports Spectrum article. “My mom always told me to read that when I was nervous or before a big game. I also like Psalm 91, 27, 35, and 37. I read them before every game. I’m trying to get my mind right.”
If the Warriors are going to make a run at another NBA title, they’ll need Hield to continue making shots and playing at a high level. They have not reached the conference finals since winning the championship in 2021-22.
The No. 6-seed Minnesota Timberwolves await them in the second round. Game 1 from the Target Center in Minneapolis is at 9:30 p.m. ET Tuesday. The winner of the series will face either the Denver Nuggets or Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives past a Bucks defender, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The Indiana Pacers have improved on their regular-season record each of the three full seasons star guard Tyrese Haliburton has been with the franchise. A year ago they made the postseason for the first time in four years, won a playoff series for the first time since 2014, and advanced all the way to the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals.
This spring, with a 50-32 regular-season record and the No. 4 seed in the East, Haliburton and the Pacers are positioned for another deep playoff run.
Haliburton had a relatively quiet game in Indiana’s 117-98 Game 1 victory Saturday against its first-round opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks, yet still nearly compiled a triple-double; he scored 10 points, dished out 12 assists and snagged seven rebounds.
Drafted No. 12 overall by the Sacramento Kings out of Iowa State in 2020, Haliburton was traded to the Pacers mid-way through the 2021-22 season. In Indiana, he’s become one of the best passers in the NBA and a two-time All-Star (2023, 2024). He averaged 9.2 assists per game this regular season (the third-most in the league) in addition to his 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
Haliburton was a member of Team USA’s gold medal-winning basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and as his fame has grown, he’s continued to speak about the importance of faith in his life. At a press conference earlier this month, he was asked about the chapel services NBA teams hold before games.
“Chapel is a big part of my game-day routine,” Haliburton said. “It started my rookie year with Harrison Barnes. As my vet, he always made sure I was going to chapel. … That 15-20 minutes I get every day to step aside and talk about what really matters — which is my Lord and Savior — I think it’s very important for me. I think we’ve built a little bit of a community within our locker room too.”
He continued later, “It’s a super cool thing that we do here in the NBA and I always appreciate it. So (chapel has) been a big part of my success and, honestly, my sanity throughout this year. It’s been an up-and-down year, but I know that coming back to the [Bible], coming back to my peace really there always makes me feel at peace and knowing the bigger picture.”
Haliburton writes “To Him be the glory forever” in his X bio, and this summer in an interview with GQ said his Bible was the first of 10 items he can’t live without.
“Over the last two years, my religion has become very important in my life,” he said in the video. “Just understanding that I’m made in the image of God, in a world where you have a bad game and they’re killing you on social media, or confidence goes up and down, I can always come right here. [The Bible] is my peace.”
Haliburton admitted he’s never truly read the Bible until recent years, knowing only the isolated verses athletes commonly reference. However, as the 25-year-old Oshkosh, Wisconsin, native has established himself in the NBA, God has been at work in his heart to draw him closer to Himself.
“Growing up we didn’t go to church a lot, but we understood God’s place in our lives,” Haliburton told NBA.com last year. “Now that I’m an adult I guess — I own a house now and live on my own — I go to church on Sunday every chance I can. I go to chapel before games.”
God has even used Haliburton’s life as a witness to his own parents, John and Brenda.
“Tyrese is humble and very blessed,” John told Andscape in December 2023. “We give God the praise and the glory. Tyrese is nothing without the mercy of God. He knows how to handle it. He knows where he comes from.”
Tip-off for Game 2 between the Bucks and Haliburton’s Pacers is set for Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET in Indianapolis, as Indiana will try to secure a commanding two-game lead in the best-of-seven series. And one thing is for certain: 60 minutes before tip, Haliburton will be in chapel, learning about and worshiping God.
