Hoops and scholarships: Native American Basketball Invitational provides intense competition, life-altering moments

Keon Talgo, a 19-year-old Native American basketball player, receives a $10,000 scholarship during halftime of the NABI Tournament boys’ championship game at the Footprint Center on July 27. (Photo courtesy of NABI Nation)

PHOENIX — Amid the fierce competition and colorful pageantry of the largest all-Native American basketball tournament in North America, some numbers stood out.

There were 196 teams representing 180 tribal communities playing in the 21st annual Native American Basketball Invitational over five days last week, the tournament beginning on the 13 courts of Grand Canyon University and ending with Saturday’s girls and boys championships at the Footprint Center.

But the games were also the backdrop to some life-changing moments.

Keon Talgo, a 19-year-old Native American basketball player, always dreamed of going to college, but needed assistance to turn his dream into reality. Everything came together during an unforgettable and eye-popping moment at the NABI.

Talgo, dressed in a black dress shirt and gray slacks, received a $10,000 scholarship during halftime of the boys’ championship game in downtown Phoenix. Talgo belongs to the San Carlos Apache tribe and will attend Cornell College, a private liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa, in the fall to study engineering.

“I’m feeling great right now,” said Talgo, who helped lead Gilbert Christian High School’s boy’s basketball team to the 3A State Championship in February. “It really helps my family a lot financially to have this scholarship and I’m really grateful for NABI for selecting me.”

The NABI has donated over $450,000 in financial aid to Native American college students from all over North America since 2003.

Talgo was one of four to receive a scholarship. Jaci Gonnie, an 18-year-old Native American who played on the girls basketball team at Winslow High School, also won $10,000. Gonnie scored over 1,000 points during her high school career.

The NABI provides scholarships to basketball alumni, including two $10,000 scholarships and two $5,000 scholarships. Two males and two females received scholarships during the championship game.

Jaci Gonnie, an 18-year-old player from Winslow High School who scored over 1,000 points in her career, earns a $10,000 scholarship at the NABI Tournament at Footprint Center on July 27. (Photo courtesy of NABI Nation)

Talgo understands the value of education and the understanding stems from his childhood. Talgo’s other family members have attended college, meaning he has support.

“College is always so important to me, because as a young kid, my family really expressed how education can take you far in places,” he said.

Assistance is vital as more Native Americans pursue higher education opportunities. About 1,961 Native American students were enrolled at the University of Arizona in Fall 2023, which was 3.7% of the student body, according to Native American Advancement Initiatives and Research.

“Native Americans face so many challenges and there are few who go to college,” said Talgo’s godmother, Treena Parvello, 50, who has a master’s degree in business from the University of Arizona. “The family is so happy to be able to support Keon and his goals and his dreams and be a part of this moment with him, we’re so excited.”

Attending college is a privilege for many, and Native Americans sometimes battle more when making the transition. Some Native Americans have to step out of their communities and abandon their rich culture, according to a report from CNN.

“You grew up in one reservation your whole life and you’re exposed to a different culture as a culture shock,” Parvello said. “Other students may not have to deal with abandoning their culture when they go to college.”

For some Native American youth, basketball can be the bridge between their culture and their future. On Saturday, Arizona’s Rezbombers from the Navajo Nation beat last year’s champions, Oklahoma’s Legendary Elite, 68-40, for the girls’ title, while Oklahoma’s Cheyenne Arapaho beat Minnesota’s Lower Sioux 56-50 to win its seventh boys’ title since the tournament began in 2003.

As players like Talgo and Gonnie watched along with the rest of the fans, they were reminded of the tournament’s greater purpose.

“Education is important to me because it has gotten me so far in life,” said Gonnie, who earned all A’s at Winslow High School and will attend Rome City Institute in Italy. “That’s the only thing I have right now along with basketball and it’s going to take me farther if I keep going.

“I just want to show an example of what we are capable of and we’re very limited with resources. I think anything is possible as long as you have family by your side.”