Dalton Walker
ICT
An Indigenous player may once again raise the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy as a member of the NBA’s top team.
All Kyrie Irving has to do is knock off the best team in the NBA. A tall task for sure, but Irving’s Dallas Mavericks have beaten the better teams in front of them so far, at least record wise, all playoffs.
The Boston Celtics are simply the next one up. To add an extra layer of spice, Irving spent two seasons on the Celtics before leaving after saying he planned to stay long term.
Now, Irving, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, is back in the NBA Finals, with game one starting Thursday.
The Celtics had the best record in the regular season at 64-18, compared to Dallas’ 50-32, and raced through the Eastern Conference with little pushback. Dallas was the underdog in the three matchups before reaching the championship series.
The NBA Finals will be on national television (ABC) and come when Indigenous athletes are shining in a few sports. Think Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour, Six Nations of the Grand River, and Minnesota Lynx rookie Alissa Pili, Inupiaq and Samoan, to name a couple. Mountour’s Panthers are playing for the NHL’s Stanley Cup and Pili is finding her way for a strong WNBA franchise off to a hot start.
Irving wasn’t the only Indigenous player to reach the NBA playoffs. In fact, his Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder and reserve guard Lindy Waters III, 26, Kiowa and Cherokee, in the second round. Aboriginal Australian and 2014 NBA champion Patty Mills also reached the playoffs with the Miami Heat and got knocked out in the first round by the Celtics. Mills, 35, won the NBA Finals with the San Antonio Spurs.
Irving, 32, in his 12th season has plenty of NBA Finals experience, including a championship ring. He played in the championship series three straight seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers and won the title in the 2015-16 season.
Irving is 6-feet-2-inches and is often the smallest player on the court. However, his quickness, ball handling and shot making has no height limitations. He is often considered one of the best dribblers and finishers at the rim in the history of the game.
He dazzled against the Minnesota Timberwolves, helping win the Western Conference title 4 games to 1. This was also when Irving introduced the world to his brown Anta Kai 1 sneakers with fringe giving off moccasin vibes called the Chief Hela Kai 1. Irving’s social media handles say Chief Hela. Irving signed a shoe deal with the Chinese athlete brand Anta Sports after leaving Nike a few years ago.
While at Nike, Irving released a shoe that had the logo of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Irving was spotted shooting practice shots with Native American Basketball Invitational shorts and often wears a National Congress of American Indians hat.
2024 NBA Finals schedule
- Game 1: Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics, Thursday, June 6, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Game 2: Mavericks at Celtics, Sunday, June 9, 8 p.m. ET
- Game 3: Celtics at. Mavericks, Wednesday, June 12, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Game 4: Celtics at. Mavericks, Friday, June 14, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Game 5: Mavericks at. Celtics, Monday, June 17, 8:30 p.m. ET*
- Game 6: Celtics at. Mavericks, Thursday, June 20, 8:30 p.m. ET*
- Game 7: Mavericks at Celtics, Sunday, June 23, 8 p.m. ET*
* = if necessary
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