Micah Fletcher
Cherokee Phoenix
NORMAN, Okla. – High school basketball players from across the country recently traveled to Norman, Oklahoma for the Elevated Native Basketball Tournament that is hosted by the Lindy Waters III Foundation.
The three-day tournament held July 26-28 featured both boys and girls teams, a majority of whom were Native. Prizes were given to teams placing first, second and third as well as individual prizes for “player of the game.”
Lindy Waters III’s foundation hosted the tournament for the second consecutive year in the town he played high school basketball. Waters, a Cherokee Nation and Kiowa citizen, has been in the NBA since 2022 and is currently on the Golden State Warriors. He played collegiately at Oklahoma State University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management. Earlier this year, Waters was introduced into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame.
One of the board members of the foundation is Waters’ sister Loren Waters, a Cherokee/Kiowa filmmaker who has worked on notable films and television projects such as “Reservation Dogs,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Fancy Dance.”
“Basketball is at the core of what we do because Lindy is a basketball player at the NBA level with the Golden State Warriors,” Loren said. “We host basketball clinics to give back to Native youth, we give away scholarships to kids going into college, we host cultural camps to provide access to cultural traditional knowledge, and we’re also doing storytelling workshops as well for the youth.”
“We had really supportive parents growing up and not everybody has that,” Loren continued. “We want to be able to give back to the community in ways that we know how.”
The basketball tournament is one of the many things Waters’ foundation does for Native youth. Other events include a charity golf tournament and basketball and storytelling clinics designed to strengthen leadership, teamwork and healthy lifestyle skills.
“It’s important to me because I didn’t have anything like this growing up.” Lindy said. “It’s different because we’re able to give back with our resources, whether it’s basketball equipment, scholarship money or just the time and love that they don’t necessarily get in other tournaments.”
“So that’s why we’re different. It’s not necessarily all about basketball,” Lindy added. “They’re able to come and see somebody that can do it at the highest level but understand that I’m human just like they are.”
Laynee Stanley, a Cherokee Nation citizen and senior at Fort Gibson High School, played for the “Choctaws” – the girls’ team who placed first in the tournament and spoke highly of the tournament and Waters.
“I think (the tournament) brings a lot to the table,” Stanley said. “Just like everyone coming from a similar background, being Native and being able to come play and have fun. Like, it’s just different than playing anywhere else. It’s just a lot of fun.”
“I try my best to be a leader like (Waters),” Stanley continued. “It’s kind of hard to fill in shoes like that just because of how much he does for everyone all the time and just kind of his standpoint of things. But it’d be great to be as good as him at what he does.”
Last year, the Lindy Waters III Foundation gave away $20,000 in scholarships to Native high school seniors, according to Loren Waters, and this year they hope to do the same.
“God put me in this position to be able to give back to the Native youth.” Lindy said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity, I’m grateful for the responsibility.”
In the NBA off-season, Waters was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Golden State Warriors. When asked if that would affect the foundation, he was confident it wouldn’t.
“It won’t affect anything. I have a great support system, a great family and volunteer system that show up every day and put hard work into it,” he said. “If anything, it’ll be growth in other places.”
Loren was also confident about growth in the foundation.
“We have plans to grow and expand,” she said. “Our primary focus right now is Oklahoma, but as we know, Lindy now is going to the Golden State Warriors, and so we’re looking to expand into California and other areas around Turtle Island.”
When asked about next season as a player, Waters was also optimistic about his new team.
“(I feel) excitement,” he said. “(I’m) optimistic and just glad to be in a place where I’m wanted and hopefully going to be used in the right way.”
