photography by Todd Ramoth/AK Storm
by Greg Lincoln
The Native American Basketball Invitational tournament in Phoenix, Arizona recently held July 17-23, 2023 centered around educational and inspirational programs including a college and career fair, an educational youth summit, and a college scholarship fund along with the invitational basketball tournament for youth girls and boys.
Three Alaskan teams benefitted fromz this year’s NABI events: the Scammon Bay Snowbirds and the Knik 8 Stars representing the Knik Tribe on the boys bracket and the AK Storm girls team with a roster covering the whole state.
84 boys teams and 60 girls teams participated in the event in a jam-packed schedule with games hosted by gyms throughout the city of Phoenix.
The AK Storm girls played a total of four games. Run N Gun, a team from the Navajo Nation, Omaha, Sioux, and Apache tribes of Arizona was their first matchup. They lost 33-80. For their second game it was the Rockettes representing the three affiliated Tribes of Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations. They live on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in central North Dakota. The Rockettes won in a close contest 55-45.
For their third game, the Storm played the NM Mustangs – a Navajo Nation team from New Mexico who won 61-29. The final game was with an international team from New Zealand, the Aotearoa Maori representing the Maori people. The Maori won 50-31.
Friends and relatives of the AK Storm team were very proud of the girls for their efforts.
“Always love watching the girls play every time they come down,” wrote a fan. “So proud of the girls for playing hard,” said another. “I enjoyed watching the games online.”
The AK Snowbirds from Scammon Bay also played four games. Their first game was with the AZ Northern representing the Navajo Nation. The Snowbirds lost 54-38. Second game was with Big Valley POMO representing the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and Robinson Rancheria of California.
For the third game, it was with Fort Mojave representing the Fort Mojave Indian Trible of Arizona. The Mojave won 53-26. On Tuesday, July 18th, the Alaska Snowbirds team played the OST Elite team representing the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate combined team of South Dakota. The Snowbirds lost 77-62.
The Knik 8 Stars of Alaska fared well featuring Ryan Steeves of Aniak and Jade Green of Nome, playing a total of eight games and winning 5. They lost their first game, falling to the AZ Warriors representing the Hopi, Tewa, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Navajo Nation, San Carlos Apache, Tohono O’odham Nation, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Eastern Shoshone, and Northern Arapaho tribes 69-50.
They won their next five games defeating the CGB Squad representing the Jicarilla Apache, Navajo Nation, San Ildefonso Pueblo, and Jemez Pueblo 62-51; the Big Valley POMO (the team that played the Alaska Snowbirds) 70-47; and Native Storm of the Navajo Nation 66-38; the SR Ba’ag of Arizona represnenting the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Navajo Nation, Seminole, and Apache tribes in a close win 69-63; and the AZ Warriors Red team representing Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Navajo Nation, Choctaw, Hopi, and Apache tribes in another close nailbiter, 57-54.
The Knik 8 Stars lost their next games in two very close contests. They fell to the OKR Kiowa Tribe represenging Kiowa, Cheyenne Arapaho, Comanche, Pawnee, Apache, and Choctaw tribes 63-60; and to the AZ Warriors representing Hopi, Tewa, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Navajo Nation, San Carlos Apache, Tohono O’odham Nation, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Eastern Shoshone, and the Northern Arapaho 69-63.
The kids also heard from inspirational speaker and former NBA player (Boston Celtics) Damen Bell-Holter originally of Hydaburg and a former Mt. Edgecumbe student.
Good job everyone and we wish you the best in whatever future endeavors you may aspire to achieve.
