American Indian Basketball was developed to give American Indians the same opportunities of playing, coaching, and managing a professional basketball team. The goal is to build an organization owned, operated, coached, and all the players are American Indian. Developing a team is the only way to create opportunities for American Indian athletes, coaches, trainers, and administrators. Many American Indian players are not given the same opportunities to play in college, therefore limiting the chance to play professionally. American Indian athletes are not recognized as valuable and essential to the overall success of any intercollegiate athletic program.
College coaches do not recruit or invite American Indian athletes to try out or play intercollegiate athletics. Less than 1% of all division 1 athletes are American Indian. The talent and abilities of American Indian basketball players are evident in “Rez Ball” tournaments throughout the country. Still, very few players are provided opportunities to play professional basketball at any level. Identifying and recruiting the top 50 basketball players in Indian country is the first task. Once the top 10 players in each of the five positions (point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center) have been identified and acknowledged, players will be invited to training camp to determine the final roster.
Inviting the top 10 players in each position will allow their play to determine the final rankings. Each position will be graded, and their overall play will determine the top ten list. Grading and measuring every player at each position will identify their strengths and weaknesses and their work ethic. Players’ ranking will change during tryouts as players compete against each other for a spot on the roster or a starting position. The top three players in each position will be given contracts to compete in The Basketball League (TBL). The final roster will consist of 12 active players and three practice players. American Indian players that get into elite shape and are dedicated to the weight room will be showcased for other professional leagues worldwide (NBA, G-League, FIBA, CBA).
