Team Mni-Sota’s Kingsly Whitebird (Ojibwe) was a NAIG’23 16U Boys’ Basketball Team Silver Medalist

By Dan Ninham, Contributing Writer

Kingsly Whitebird is a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. He will be going into his junior year this fall at Cass Lake-Bena HS in Cass Lake, MN. He played on the Team Mni-Sota 16U boys’ basketball team that placed runner-up and earned a silver medal at the North American Indigenous Games 2023 in Halifax, Nova Scotia this past summer.

Elite athletes are inspired by other athletes and oftentimes at the professional level and in the same sport. The late Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry inspire Whitebird. He is also inspired by his family in basketball. He said, “Most importantly, I am following in the footsteps of my older siblings Taneisha, Will, Sunshyne, and Jaxon.”

The athletic and academic accomplishments are continuing to come Whitebird’s way as he is becoming an upper classman in high school and in multi-sports. “This past year I received an award in my school for Most Improved in football,” said Whitebird. “My first basketball team was when I was in second grade. I played a grade up under Coach Roman Brown with the Leech Lakers Program.”

Roman Brown coached Whitebird from second to fourth grade. Brown said, “He was always willing to learn the game and he was a lil’ wild as a second grader as all the kids were. As he grew so did his game as the player he is today. It was an honor to coach this young man at a young age. Good luck to him on his future in basketball and I will be watching.”

“In third grade I continued playing with the Leech Lakers but it was also when I joined the AAU circuit with the Ojibwe Thunder Team under Coach Gil Zamora,” said Whitebird.

Gil Zamora is a leader among young basketball athletes in the twin cities and has also worked with Native populations. He has been in youth development programming for the past four plus decades. “I open the doors of the gyms for the kids that need to find a place to go,” said Gil Zamora. 

“Kingsly came into the gym when he was in fourth grade and I saw a young man that was very passionate about the game of basketball. He followed directions and you could see instantly his desire to be a good player. He stayed with me the next four years competing in many tournaments down in the cities and I exposed him to high level basketball teams and he continued to excel.”

Whitebird continued to play in the program until he attended school in Prior Lake-Savage Schools for a year and played for Prior Lakes Athletics for Youth (P.L.A.Y.) following COVID.

“I returned to Cass Lake-Bena Schools where I began playing varsity in the ninth grade and continued on with the AAU programs MN Starks and Wisconsin Playmakers,” said Whitebird. “Throughout this time I earned a spot on B-honor roll in school, knowing that comes before sports. I have also earned attendance awards which is key to getting good grades and being able to continue playing sports.”

An athletes’ indigenous core values define how they practice and compete. Whitebird said, “I truly believe in our seven grandfather teachings where I highly believe in respecting all that is surrounding the game will come back to you in a good way.”

“Extremely grateful for my health for allowing me the ability to play, for the adults who do their part to provide us opportunities to play, and competitors for providing good, sound sportsmanship in the game we mutually love for those we play for,” added Whitebird. 

To compete internationally holds many memories for NAIG’23 athletes. Whitebird shared his highlight. He said, “Ultimately it was the brotherhood and sisterhood formed with other Indigenous athletes on this North American continent … besides bringing home the silver medal to my family.”

Chris Jourdain, Red Lake Nation, was the Team Mni-Sota Chef de’ Mission and 16U boys’ assistant coach. Jourdain has seen the progress of Whitebird as an opposing conference coach for Red Lake HS. He said, “After seeing the breakout season he had last year for CLB, and seeing him at tryouts for NAIG I knew he would be a handful for any team we faced. I was glad he was able to make it to the event, and I felt confident this team was medal worthy and that he would be a big factor in that. What I didn’t know is how coachable he was and his calm, quiet demeanor.”

“As a coach it is something I really stress to my players, staying in control mentally and verbally. He was easy to coach and the type of player any coach would want leading their team. The FIBA style is much more physical, he plays very strong and physical, so there was lots of contact on many of his drives, and he is a good finisher at the rim and can drive hard to his left. I can tell he works hard at his game, and I look forward to watching his career play out, and can see big things happening for him,” added Jourdain.

Whenever athletes put on their team uniform and steps on the playing court or field, they are representing more than themselves in how they carry themselves in competition. Whitebird shared his thoughts and said, “I feel it is an honor to represent our Leech Lake homelands in the land of 10,000 lakes! I also play for my late brothers Raymondibun and Jaxonibun who left this world way too soon. In their memory I will always play my best respectfully, for them. 

“My NAIG coach was Muckwa Roberts who provided us positive encouragement to do our best,” said Whitebird.

Muckwa Roberts was not available for comment.