Lindy Waters III

Lindy Waters III is a professional NBA forward and a citizen of the Kiowa and Cherokee Nations, making him one of the few Native Americans to play in the NBA. Waters played college basketball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he started 104 games, tying for the 10th most in school history, and finished with 1,152 career points, ranking 31st all-time. He made 177 career three-pointers on 39 percent shooting from beyond the arc, ranking 11th and 16th in school history, respectively. Waters also earned Academic All-Big 12 honors with a second-team selection, demonstrating achievement both on and off the court.

After going undrafted, Waters began his professional basketball career with the Enid Outlaws of The Basketball League, averaging 12.6 points, 4.9 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game in 17 games. He then joined the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA G League, where he played in 16 games and averaged 11.4 points per game. Waters made his NBA debut with the Oklahoma City Thunder after signing a two-way contract, and the Thunder later converted his deal into a multi-year standard contract. He also won the NBA G League championship with the Oklahoma City Blue.

Waters was later traded to the Golden State Warriors, where he continued his NBA career. During a preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers, he hit a game-winning buzzer beater, marking his first career buzzer-beating game winner. He scored a season-high 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a Warriors victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Waters was subsequently traded to the Detroit Pistons in a five-team trade before joining the San Antonio Spurs, where he plays as a forward.

Off the court, Waters is an advocate for Native American communities. He is the fifth Native American to play basketball in the NBA and has faced many of the same barriers that Native youth encounter, including limited access to athletics, education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. Waters was named Indian of the Year at the American Indian Exposition Celebration in Anadarko, Oklahoma, an award that inspired his activism and the creation of his nonprofit foundation. The Lindy Waters III Foundation provides resources, support, and advocacy for Native youth, focusing on cultural enrichment, mental health advocacy, and promoting physical wellness through sports, including basketball and culture camps. Waters was named a finalist for the NBA Social Justice Champion Award for his foundation's work supporting Native American youth through sports, health, and wellness.