How Waters’ Native Pride Fuels His Incredible NBA Journey originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Though undiscovered in much of America, Lindy Waters III is a welcome discovery for the Warriors and a rising hero for a marginalized nation of millions.
When Golden State acquired Waters in a June trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, it was because they valued his deep shooting ability. That’s his ticket to the NBA. The 6-foot-4 winger shot 43.5 percent from deep in limited action with the Thunder last season and is draining triples at a 57.9 percent rate through four preseason games.
“I would say we have 13 players that look like rotation players to me, Lindy being one of them,” coach Steve Kerr said.
Through his early play with the Warriors, Waters puts himself in a position to solidify his platform. The more known he becomes to the average fan, the more Americans he can influence.
For Waters, 27, Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday is particularly important. He is that rare breed, a native NBA player. Born in Colorado, raised mostly in Oklahoma, he is a citizen of the Kiowa Nation and descendant of proud Cherokees. He is exploring the Bay Area’s connection to the indigenous community, he said Monday after the training, which coincided with Indigenous Peoples Day.
“There’s still a lot to discover,” Waters said. “I hear a lot of stories about Alcatraz and the surrounding tribes, so I’m curious to learn more about that. But today is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, so I get to celebrate that with my people.”
Indigenous Peoples Day is a relatively new American holiday, slowly replacing Columbus Day and being recognized as the rightful Native Americans.
More than five million Americans identify as Indigenous, but only Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving (part Lakota), Milwaukee Bucks forward MarJon Beauchamp (Mission, Luiseño) and Waters share ancestry and identify with the culture.
“Me, MarJon and Kyrie are the three most important players in the NBA that really carry that legacy with us,” Waters said. “And we take it upon ourselves to have that responsibility to be there for our community, so it’s great to celebrate that with everyone around us.”
Waters was not always comfortable with his connection to the Native American community; his father, Lindy Jr., and other descendants were closer to tribal culture. Young Lindy’s awakening came later, in high school, and he now embraces everything that comes with being Native.
Not long after Waters accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Oklahoma State, he was mentoring Native American children and holding basketball clinics specifically designed for a group that can feel isolated by reservation life.
He has since been named “Indian of the Year” by the American Indian Exposition. He founded the ‘Lindy Waters III Foundation’, whose mission is ‘to improve and support Native American youth and indigenous communities through sports, health and wellness and leadership programs.’
Although they played sparingly for the Thunder last season, Waters was one of five finalists for the NBA’s Social Justice Champion award, named after Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
And now that he’s left Oklahoma and joined the high-profile Warriors, Waters hopes to make the most of his proximity to local and global culture.
“I was excited that I was ready to leave Oklahoma and just discover and become myself,” Waters said. “To learn more about myself off the field, to meet new people, with new players. I was ecstatic and wanted to come here, so it’s been great since I’ve been here.”
If he continues to shoot with anything close to his early efficiency, he will continue to get minutes with the Warriors and become part of their new identity. They shoot a lot of three-pointers, which ties in neatly with Waters’ family nickname: “Trey.”
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