Warrior Elite Squad featuring #53 Joey “King Handles” Haywood.

Without the ghetto there would be no basketball as we know it. Little do most people know there are invisible ‘hoods buried all over rural America, huge windswept corrals where entire populations were fenced in and forgotten: Indian reservations, aka The Rez. And they’re balling out–hard. Many kids there face the same challenges as their disadvantaged urban brethren. The game offers them an opportunity to be inspired and motivated toward the positive things in life.

Nelson Hernandez was struck by the similarities between kids on the rez and those in his native Noo Yawk. He started organizing Native American teams, events and clinics. Nelson recently took his Warrior Elite squad, a majority of which are Natives, to Yakima, WA, where they spoke to kids at Yakama Tribal School about drugs, alcohol, setting goals, motivation, etc. They did a small exhibition, gave away Starbury kicks, posters and streetball DVDs. The trip also included an exhibition against the two-time defending CBA champs, the Yakima Sun Kings. Two years ago, Nelson took a crew to play YSK and a Native gunner named Richard Dionne (he’s wearing the blue jersey in the picture) went ball-istic for 35 joints. The Pro organization signed him on the spot, and he remains the only Native in the CBA. Now he’s an inspiration to the youth and Herdandez’s parter with the Warrior Elite.

Big ups to Nelson, Rich and the rest of their crew for kicking the truth to the Native youth.