Charles Barkley is a Republican, you know.
Anyway, I barely remember Scottie Pippin saying or doing anything.....I don't think you really see many sports interviews. It's completely common for athletes to credit God for a victory or their abilities.
And on a very routine basis I see people in disasters or accidents that live crediting God for their survival, far more than people simply stating they were lucky.
In YOUR world ... In mine, the athletes generally credit themselves. Occasionally, they might remember that they have a teammate or two. But they seldom recall that their gifts -- ephemeral as they are -- come from somewhere else.
And on a very routine basis I see people in disasters or accidents that live crediting God for their survival, far more than people simply stating they were lucky.
There must be a lot of disasters in your world that they become "very routine." Back here in reality, they're uncommon enough that I can't discern any clear pattern, but I'd have to say I don't recall any outpouring of gratitude to the Almighty from the survivors.
I think back to 9/11 and I remember many survivors crediting the heroism of the firefighters, police, co-workers, complete strangers. But few praised God for saving them. On the other hand, I did hear a lot of "How could a loving God let this happen" rhetoric.
I'll have to visit your world sometime. It sounds like a profound, spiritual place.