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Kyrie Irving and his sister welcomed into their mother's Standing Rock Sioux tribe

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUG 23, 2018 | 12:15 PM


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Celtics star Kyrie Irving accepts gifts from students on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota on Thursday. (Blake Nicholson / Associated Press)




Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving and his older sister were officially welcomed into their mother's Standing Rock Sioux tribe on Thursday in North Dakota.

The All-Star guard and his sister, model Asia Irving, visited the tribe's reservation that straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border and took part in a ceremony recognizing their tribal heritage and support for the tribe's long battle against the Dakota Access oil pipeline.

In front of a packed auditorium, they were honored with Lakota names during a ritual that tribal spokeswoman Danielle Finn said “is a very special rite of passage for a Lakota person.” While standing on a bison pelt, the siblings were smudged with sacred grasses, presented with traditional quilts and eagle feathers, and given names associated with their White Mountain family.

Kyrie Irving's Lakota name, Hela, is roughly pronounced (HAY'-law) and means “Little Mountain.” Asia Irving's name, Tatanka Winyan, (tuh-TONG'-kuh WEE'-yun) means “Buffalo Woman.”


The Irvings' late mother, Elizabeth Ann Larson, was a member of the tribe and lived on the reservation until her adoption at a young age. Their late grandmother and great-grandparents also have ties to the reservation.

The siblings were greeted by hordes of fans, many wearing green T-shirts with the Standing Rock Sioux seal, Kyrie Irving's uniform number, 11, and the words “Welcome Home Kyrie Irving.”

“It truly is a good day for Standing Rock,” tribal Chairman Mike Faith said, turning to the Irvings. “For you two, welcome home.”

Many in the crowd, including Char White Mountain, consider the siblings to be part of their family.

“We want him to know who his relatives are,” she said. “We definitely don't want him to think we're people using him for his money. He's family.”

Jewel Felix, who considers Kyrie Irving her nephew, said she became emotional when she heard he was coming.

“I started crying,” she said. “I can't believe it's happening.”

Todd Giroux, a 14-year-old high school junior and point guard for the Standing Rock basketball team, said Irving became his hero when the star gave him an autograph at a Celtics game against the Timberwolves in Minneapolis. Giroux came to Thursday's event wearing an Irving jersey.

“It's amazing,” he said, adding “it makes it even cooler” that Irving in late 2016 expressed support on Twitter for tribal efforts to lead the battle against the pipeline, which opponents believe threatens the tribe's Missouri River water supply. Thousands of people traveled to the reservation area in 2016 and 2017 to protest, with hundreds being arrested. The pipeline began operating in June 2017, but the Standing Rock tribe is leading a court battle to try to shut it down.

Kyrie Irving discussed his Sioux heritage during a January 2017 interview with ESPN, saying “there's a home connection” with the tribe's pipeline struggles and that he wanted to have a legacy outside of basketball. Irving this year asked Nike to put Standing Rock's seal on a new sneaker. He also has a tattoo of the Standing Rock logo on his neck.

Irving, who won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, was born in Australia and grew up in West Orange, New Jersey. He played one season at Duke University before joining the Cavaliers as the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
 
I probably would have had OKC as the 3rd best team in the West but they talking about Andre Roberson may not be ready until December and even then he still might not be close to what he was

He had a devastating injury rupturing his patellar tendon but I forgot he had another surgery a couple of months ago too, dude is just now starting to get work on the treadmill
 
I probably would have had OKC as the 3rd best team in the West but they talking about Andre Roberson may not be ready until December and even then he still might not be close to what he was

He had a devastating injury rupturing his patellar tendon but I forgot he had another surgery a couple of months ago too, dude is just now starting to get work on the treadmill


Warriors
Rockets
OKC
Lakers
Spurs
Jazz
Blazers
Nuggets/clippers

Still have the thunder there because they added pieces like noel and Schroeder

Like their bench can consist of

Schroeder/Felton, Grant, Noel, abrines, patterson

And that's as good as the Orlando magic starting 5
 
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Jazz going to be higher than that
They could but they might not. Only a few games gonna seperate 3-6

I think any lebron led team will be a top 5 seed regardless and spurs won 47 games with kawhi playing in 9 games

Jazz were a 5th seed last year, I don't think 6th is far fetched. Plus nobody really expected Mitchell to be who he was so they scouting report will be diff next year. But then again gobert missed games so idk you might be right but I don't think so. Some people have them as the #3 seed and it's possible but nah not over OKC
 
No Wolves in your playoff prediction huh ?
Forgot about them honestly. I'll throw them in to fight for the 8th seed but they a fringe playoff team until they sort that team out and get pieces that actually fit

Who's on your bench besides Derrick rose taking all of tyus Jones' mins?
 
They could but they might not. Only a few games gonna seperate 3-6

I think any lebron led team will be a top 5 seed regardless and spurs won 47 games with kawhi playing in 9 games

Jazz were a 5th seed last year, I don't think 6th is far fetched. Plus nobody really expected Mitchell to be who he was so they scouting report will be diff next year. But then again gobert missed games so idk you might be right but I don't think so. Some people have them as the #3 seed and it's possible but nah not over OKC

I agree 3-6 probably will be separated by just a few games but I think Utah having continuity going into the season is going help them versus LA who is working in a whole new group, OKC who won't have their best defender to start the year and San Antonio who has to incorporate Derozan

I don't see Utah being the 3rd season when the playoffs start but they'll be hanging around that spot at least for half the year imo

Still working on my predictions though
 
a Blazers team that got swept is projected to be higher than the team that swept them? lol
 
I agree 3-6 probably will be separated by just a few games but I think Utah having continuity going into the season is going help them versus LA who is working in a whole new group, OKC who won't have their best defender to start the year and San Antonio who has to incorporate Derozan

I don't see Utah being the 3rd season when the playoffs start but they'll be hanging around that spot at least for half the year imo

Still working on my predictions though
Btw I didn't really sit down and analyze for that list I spent like 3 secs so it might change
 
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