Meet Nathaniel Yazzie, a member of Navajo Nation playing pro ball for the Santa Ana Thunder

Nathaniel Yazzie, a Gallup native and member of the Navajo Nation, is one of only a few Native Americans playing pro basketball. He comes off the bench for the Santa Ana Thunder, a first-year franchise in The Basketball League.

Yazzie, 20, said he’s grateful for the opportunity to make a living playing sports while also proud to be an inspiration to other Native Americans who may not have considered pro athlete an attainable career.

“Growing up on the Navajo reservation, basketball isn’t the goal … taking care of grandma, taking care of the herd, the sheep and cattle — your job is to provide,” he said.

That doesn’t mean basketball isn’t a part of the culture. Native American teams in high school play a unique brand of hoops, often called “rez ball.” It consists of playing at a fast pace and hitting shots from deep to counter playing against often taller opponents. Die-hard fan bases come out to each game, their deafening cheers and jeers often affecting games.

Yazzie knows this well. He played on the AAU circuit out of Oklahoma from his seventh-grade year through his sophomore year of high school before returning home to play for Gallup High his junior and senior years, leading the Bengals to back-to-back district championships in 2022 and 2023 while making all-district first team and earning defensive player of the year awards both seasons.

A 6-foot-1, 165-pound point guard, Yazzie is a natural ball distributor yet never scared to go inside. He developed a floater near to the basket to get his shot off against any defender, even 7-footers.

His talent on the court earned him an offer to play at the next level and he committed to Southwestern College in Kansas. However, when the Santa Ana Thunder announced they would be offering a roster spot to a Native American player, Yazzie tried out and made the inaugural squad.

He couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play ball closer to home or to play for Thunder coach Cliff Levingston, a member of the NBA championship-winning Chicago Bulls teams that Yazzie idolized growing up.

Levingston said he’s pleased with Yazzie’s play, considering he is right out of high school.

Though Yazzie is averaging just 1.5 points per game this season for the 7-11 Thunder, he has plans to return next season and feels the exposure, however limited, he’s gaining will only help him reach his ultimate goal of playing overseas or in the NBA.

‘You only lose if you quit’

While Yazzie’s dream of playing in the NBA may seem like a long shot, he said he lives his life by the mantra, “you only lose if you quit,” and he’s not planning to quit anytime soon.

One of Yazzie’s inspirations is Lindy Waters III, who has Kiowa and Cherokee ancestors. Waters, a former TBL player, was on this year’s Oklahoma City Thunder squad, registering eight minutes in the playoffs.

Yazzie said not many on the reservation aspire to become pro athletes and he’d like that to change. Concerns, such as ensuring running water, often take precedence over athletic achievement, he said. Also, there aren’t many Native athletes who have paved the way. That’s where Yazzie said he hopes he can make a difference. Eventually, he wants to provide elite basketball training and travel teams “at an affordable price” for Native basketball players who have the talent but never got an opportunity.

Yazzie said he’s become close with this Thunder teammates — many of whom are not from New Mexico — and has shared his culture with the team, including an embrace of Native jewelry and giving teammates a taste of a Native snack called “blue mush,” a corn-based meal.

The Santa Ana Thunder will play their final two games of the regular season this weekend.