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.
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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.”
A variety of people have given the invocation, from Catholic priests to Baptist preachers and pastors from Life.Church, which began in Oklahoma City in 1996 and is now the largest multi-site church in America.
“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.”
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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.
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