RAPID CITY — The Lakota Nation Invitational will never leave me disappointed. 

The LNI is a five-day event that features everything from basketball, wrestling, archery, knowledge bowl, art show, traditional Lakota hand games and so much more. 

It’s the most unique sporting event in our state, and should be on any South Dakota sports fan bucket list. My co-worker Troy Fiesterman perfectly summed up the event when he said “Everybody should experience the LNI at least once.”

I couldn’t agree more. 

For many people, it’s like a big family reunion as Native American communities swarm to Rapid City to support their young student-athletes. 

Despite all of the many events, basketball is the main event and attracts thousands of people to Rapid City. This year, the LNI board of directors invited Rapid City Stevens graduate and former WNBA star Becky Hammon. 

Hammon, the current head coach of the Las Vegas Aces, made a few appearances at the event and was honored during Friday’s grand entry.  

She had a media session on Thursday, and that’s when I couldn’t help myself with my final question. But let’s quickly rewind.

I recently wrote a story about the epic 1994 Class AA girls basketball semifinal game between Rapid City Stevens and Mitchell. Hammon was simply unstoppable against the Kernels. She finished 12-of-19 from the field, 2-of-3 at the 3-point line and scored 29 of her team’s 35 points. But she missed a crucial free throw in the closing seconds, and an Erin Olson buzzer-beater capped off the all-timer. 

At the LNI media session, Hammon fielded questions for nearly 30 minutes and almost every question and response felt similar. So with my last question I took the opportunity to have a little fun. 

“I am a history buff and this question might upset you a little bit, but I recently did a story about the 1994 game against the Mitchell Kernels. What do you remember about that game?”

After mean mugging me like I didn’t box out, Hammon responded: “Losing. Missing a free throw. And I have played in thousands of games and I can’t name most of them or what happened. That one I could tell you what happened.”

Hammon then praised the Mitchell Kernels, who won three championships from 1990-94. Hammon also singled out their top players Olson and Nancy (Ommen) Heldberg, who Hammon said “Set a mean screen.”

Hammon then looked at me one more time and said, “Thanks for bringing that up,” followed by laughs from people in attendance. 

Thanks Becky for being a good sport and for all you’ve done for South Dakota hoops. 

‘Marvelous’ Marvin Richard III has historic LNI

Pine Ridge’s Marvin Richard III had a Lakota Nation Invitational to remember.

The Thorpes fell in the boys championship game to Rapid City Christian, but Richard III scored the most points ever at the four-day basketball tourney. The all-state guard scored 151 points, including an LNI record 57 points against St. Francis. 

He finished 19-of-27 from the field, 6-of-13 at the 3-point line and 13-of-14 at the free-throw line. Flamboyant Pine Ridge coach Casey Means had a gem of a quote when I asked him about Richard III’s performance.

“Marvelous,” Means said. “He’s the marvelous one. The reason we call him the GOAT. He steps up in big games. St. Francis started hanging around and he took it upon himself to get us rolling.”