The Milwaukee Bucks have normalized their postgame prayer circle, with more and more players joining in

The Milwaukee Bucks are not only known for being one of the best teams in the NBA for the better part of the last decade, but their team has become synonymous with a postgame prayer circle.

While the tradition goes back until at least 2018, an early April 2024 video of the Bucks' prayer circle went viral when New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley was filmed joining the opposing team after a game.

In 2018, fans were confused when they saw all-time great Steph Curry from the Golden State Warriors step out of what looked like a huddle with fellow superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and others.

"Can someone explain what was happening here? I was surprised to see Steph part of the group here," a fan asked.

"Believe it's a pray[er] circle. All glory to the one who gave them these skills," another viewer replied.

It turned out to be a prayer circle, a tradition that includes almost every Bucks player and resonates through much of the team's organization.

According to Sports Spectrum, much of the Christian inspiration on the team comes from Kenneth Lock, the team's chaplain. He is reportedly often in the prayer circles himself, leading the prayer. He was specifically seen leading a postgame prayer after a playoff loss to the Miami Heat in 2023.

"We always pray at center court at the end of every game," Lock recently told Sports Spectrum. "Win, lose or draw, we've bought into the practice of just saying, 'God, thank You for the opportunity.'"

Lock humbly said that he wasn't sure if there's "anything special" he does other than preach about Jesus. He also said that he felt the Bucks players trusted him because of a long history he has had with them as their barber.

The chaplain said that a part of his role is to regularly ask players what they can do to be a better person.

"There’s so much pressure on these guys. Part of my job is to instruct and say, 'Hey man, how do we find ways to glorify Christ? How do we find ways to look more like Jesus in every way?'"

The Bucks' front office culture also sees religious inspiration from General Manager Jon Horst.

The GM has told local outlet WTMJ-TV that he has been thankful for the opportunity for people to understand that he is a faithful person and that his family are Christians.

"It's a big part of our life," he stated. "Faith is awesome in that it can humble you when you need to be humbled. It can energize you and motivate you when you need to be motivated," he continued.

As the Bucks continue to see more players join their circles in 2024, even their stars have begun posting about it.

"One. Team work make the dream work," Bobby Portis posted on X.

A simple search of point guard Pat Beverly's X page sees a steady stream of posts simply saying "Glory to GOD."

It should be safe to assume that the team's prayer circles will remain consistent with the successful core group of players and possibly catch on as more and more athletes join in.

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