Rezball, short for "reservation ball," is the avidly followed Native American version of

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

, particularly a style of play specific to Native American teams of some areas.

Style of play

Rezball is transition-based basketball that forces tempo with aggressive play, quick scoring (or at least shooting) and assertive defense that looks to force turnovers through pressing or half-court traps. There are slight variations from program to program. Keys to a good rezball offensive play are sound fundamentals and being in very good condition. Many Native Americans adapted to basketball to bring them together with each other and is their way to overcome strife on the reservation.

Following

The Apache,

Pueblo In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...

and Navajo tribes in northeastern

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

and northwestern

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

are home to several high schools. In these areas basketball is very important. In Arizona, three of the top six largest crowds at a boys' basketball game are rezball games (regardless of school size), with one of the two games tied for the highest-ever attendance being a game between Apache and Navajo schools. Arizona's Native American largest high school arenas are; The Nash Center (Kayenta, AZ) seats 3,800, The Warrior Pavilion (Tuba City, AZ) seats 4,518, the Ganado Pavilion (Burnside, AZ) seats 5,500, The Wildcat Den (Chinle, AZ) seats 7,510, and the Bee Hółdzil Fighting Scouts Events Center (Fort Defiance, AZ) seats about 6,532. These massive arenas draw large crowds from all around the Navajo Reservation. The border town teams for Arizona that are within the AIA 3A Division are Winslow, Holbrook and Page — which consists mainly of Native Americans. Some other examples of the intense following of basketball in this region were noted in February 2013 by a writer for ''MaxPreps.com'', the high school arm of '' CBSSports.com''. First, early in the month, the Wildcat Den hosted an

Arizona Interscholastic Association The Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) is one of two regulatory bodies for high school athletics and activities in the state of Arizona. It comprises all of the state's public district high schools (except Ajo High School, Beaver Dam High S ...

(AIA) sectional tournament featuring four boys' and four girls' reservation teams. Even though neither Chinle High team participated in the sectional, more than 12,000 attended over the two-day event, with hundreds of fans arriving hours before the doors opened to get the best seats. The scheduling of the AIA's state tournament later that month at the venue then known as Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, home to the NHL's

Arizona Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mul ...

, also reflected rezball influence. In most states that host multiple state championship games at one site, the last game scheduled is the boys' championship game in the largest enrollment class. Here, however, the marquee slot was reserved for the girls' title game in Class 3A (the state's largest schools are in Class 5A)—a classification that has traditionally been dominated by reservation schools. New Mexico has produced many high schools that are nationally ranked by the

National Federation of State High School Associations The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) is the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States. NFHS's headquarters are located in White River State Park in Ind ...

(NFHS) according to the

New Mexico Activities Association The New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates interscholastic programs for junior and senior high schools in New Mexico. It hosts the statewide sports championship games each year. History NMAA was or ...

( NMAA)--for producing over 100 State Championships combined, from numerous high schools. New Mexico functions each year on building tradition in basketball for both boys and girls. The big gyms in New Mexico from the Native American high schools are the Bronco Arena at Kirtland Central High School (Kirtland, NM) seats over 4,000, the Chieftain Pit at Shiprock High School (Shiprock, NM) seats 3,100, and the Pueblo Pavilion Santa Fe Indian School (Santa Fe, NM) seats 4,500. Both Shiprock and Kirtland Central have a unique glass going around the court. The border town teams for New Mexico are Kirtland Central, Gallup, and Santa Fe Indian—which consists mainly of Native Americans. New Mexico is well known around the country for its power houses in girls basketball such as from Kirtland Central, Shiprock, Gallup, Santa Fe Indian, Navajo Prep and Navajo Pine. Kirtland Central's girls basketball program leads with the most state championships than any other Native American high school. Shiprock has also impacted girls basketball and being major rivals with Kirtland Central. Gallup girls basketball program has been one of the most power houses in New Mexico, playing at a fierce level among larger/competitive high schools in New Mexico. Santa Fe Indian girls program has produced some great talents in the recent years along with Navajo Prep and Navajo Pine both have risen to many achievements. The New Mexico high school state finals takes place at The Pit on the University of New Mexico campus, and has had major sell outs starting from the late 80's from games between Shiprock and Kirtland Central girls. Many Native American fans from Gallup, Shiprock, Kirtland Central, Laguna Acoma and Santa Fe Indian continue to fill The Pit every year. While the Native American basketball phenomenon is most pronounced in the Four Corners region, it is not limited to that area. For example, when the girls' team from the reservation high school of the

Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians ( cho, Mississippi Chahta) is one of three federally recognized tribes of Choctaw Native Americans, and the only one in the state of Mississippi. On April 20, 1945, this tribe organized under the Indian R ...

reached the final of the Class 3A state tournament in 2017 (which they won), about 5,000 fans traveled from the reservation to

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

for the game.

Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI)

Co-founded in 2003 by Mark West/former Phoenix Suns player, the late Scott Podleski/Arizona Rattlers and GinaMarie Scarpa/former Executive Director AC Green Youth Foundation (named for AC Green/NBA Iron Man). Every year the NABI Foundation host the

Native American Basketball Invitational Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and enterta ...

(NABI) in Arizona, an all native tournament sponsored by Nike N7, Ak-Chin Indian Community, Seminole Tribe of Florida, Gila River Indian Community, Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. In its 17th year, it has become recognized as the premier all Native youth tournament in the world and made history in 2007 as the first all Native tournament sanctioned by the NCAA after NABI Foundation President & CEO GinaMarie Scarpa insisted the NCAA respect Tribal Sovereignty and exempt the tournament from abiding to their "same state rule". The tournament hosts 128+ teams from all over the U.S., Canada and New Zealand, and is instrumental in showcasing the talent of the players to college recruiters, most of whom would not travel to the remote reservation towns to recruit. www.nabifoundation.org

High schools

Arizona

Cibecue High School,

Cibecue, Arizona Cibecue ( apw, Dishchiiʼ Bikoh "Horizontally Red Valley/Canyon") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Navajo County, Arizona, United States, on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. The population was 1,713 in the 2010 United States Census. The ...

Shonto Preparatory Technology High School,

Shonto, Arizona Shonto ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Navajo County, Arizona, United States, in the Navajo Nation. The population was 591 at the 2010 census. Geography Shonto is located at (36.598209, -110.658156). According to the United Sta ...

St. Michael High School,

St. Michaels, Arizona St. Michaels ( nv, ) is a chapter of the Navajo Nation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. The Navajo Nation Government Campus is located within the chapter at Window Rock. The population was 1,443 at t ...

Salt River High School,

Scottsdale, Arizona , settlement_type = City , named_for = Winfield Scott , image_skyline = , image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg , image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg , nick ...

Rough Rock High School, Rough Rock, Arizona
Baboquivari High School,

Sells, Arizona , native_name_lang = ood , settlement_type = CDP , image_skyline = , imagesize = , image_caption = , image_map = Pima County Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sells highl ...

Red Mesa High School Red Mesa High School is a high school in Red Mesa in an unincorporated area of Apache County, Arizona,

Teec Nos Pos, Arizona Teec Nos Pos (Navajo: '')'' is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. The population was 507 at the 2020 census. It is the western terminus of U.S. Route 64. Geography Teec Nos Pos is located at (36.923142, - ...

San Carlos High School San Carlos High School was a high school operated by the Sequoia Union High School District in San Carlos, California, United States, from 1960 until 1982. Originally founded due to increasing enrollment across Belmont, San Carlos, and Redwood C ...

, San Carlos, Arizona
Piñon High School,

Piñon, Arizona Pinon ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Navajo County, Arizona, United States, and located in the Navajo Nation. The population was 904 at the 2010 census. Geography Pinon is located at (36.100862, -110.219387). According to the U ...

Valley High School,

Sanders, Arizona Sanders ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. Sanders is located at the junction of U.S. Route 191 and Interstate 40. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 630. Sanders has the ZIP code ...

Greyhills Academy High School Greyhills Academy High School is a Native American boarding high school (grades 9–12) in Tuba City, Arizona on the Navajo Nation. It is operated by the Western Navajo Agency, a tribal agency working in affiliation with the Bureau of Indian Edu ...

Tuba City, Arizona Tuba City ( nv, ) is an unincorporated town in Coconino County, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, United States. It is the second-largest community in Coconino County. The population of the census-designated place (CDP) was 8,611 at the 2010 cen ...

Hopi Junior/Senior High School,

Keams Canyon, Arizona Keams Canyon (Hopi: Pongsikya or Pongsikvi; nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. The population was 304 at the 2010 census. Pongsikya is a narrow box canyon that is named after a plant of edible gre ...

Many Farms High School, Many Farms, Arizona

Alchesay High School Alchesay High School is a public high school on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Whiteriver, Arizona, Navajo County. It was founded in 1956 and named after Chief Alchesay, who was a key person in the formation of the White Mountain Apache ...

Whiteriver, Arizona Whiteriver ( apw, Chʼilwózh) is a census-designated place (CDP) located on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. The population was 4,104 at the 2010 census, making it the largest settlement on the Reserva ...

Ganado High School,

Ganado, Arizona Ganado ( nv, ) is a chapter of the Navajo Nation and census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,210 at the 2010 census. Ganado is part of the Fort Defiance Agency, of the Bureau of Indian A ...

Holbrook High School,

Holbrook, Arizona Holbrook ( nv, Tʼiisyaakin) is a city in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city was 5,053. The city is the county seat of Navajo County. Holbrook was founded in 1881 or 1882, when the ...

Winslow High School,

Winslow, Arizona Winslow ( nv, ) is a city in Navajo County, Arizona, Navajo County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the population of the city is 9,655. It is approximately southeast of Flagstaff, Arizona, Flag ...

Window Rock High School Window Rock High School is a public high school in Fort Defiance, a census-designated place in unincorporated Apache County, Arizona. WRHS is the only high school in the Window Rock Unified School District. WRUSD, and therefore the high school, ...

Fort Defiance, Arizona Fort Defiance ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. It is also located within the Navajo Nation. The population was 3,624 at the 2010 census. History The land on which Fort Defiance was eventu ...

River Valley High School,

Mohave Valley, Arizona Mohave Valley ('Amat' 'Analy Uuhwely in Mojave) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. The population was 2,693 at the 2020 census. It is geographically connected to Needles, ...

Tuba City High School Tuba City High School is a high school in Tuba City, Arizona, under the jurisdiction of the Tuba City Unified School District The Tuba City Unified School District is the school district headquartered in Tuba City, Arizona. It operates a Tuba ...

Monument Valley High School,

Kayenta, Arizona Kayenta ( nv, ) is a U.S. town which is part of the Navajo Nation and is in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. Established November 13, 1986, the Kayenta Township is the only "township" existing under the laws of the Navajo Nation, making it ...

Chinle High School Chinle High School is a public high school (grades 9 to 12) in Chinle, an unincorporated area of Apache County, Arizona, United States. The school is the only high school in the Chinle Unified School District, and all of the district's elementar ...

, Chinle, Arizona
Page High School, Page, Arizona
Rock Point High School, Rock Point, Arizona

Fort Thomas High School Fort Thomas High School is a high school serving grades 7–12 in Fort Thomas, Arizona. It is operated by the Fort Thomas Unified School District, which also operates an elementary school. Combined, the two schools have some 600 students; 93% of ...

, Fort Thomas, Arizona

New Mexico

Laguna-Acoma High School,

Laguna, New Mexico Laguna is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,241 at the 2010 census. It is located approximately 47 miles west of Albuquerque. Laguna was founded in 1699, making it the most recent o ...

Santa Fe Indian High School, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Magdalena High School,

Magdalena, New Mexico Magdalena is a village in Socorro County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 938 at the 2010 census. "The Lady on the Mountain" is a rock formation on Magdalena Peak overlooking Magdalena. Spanish soldiers saw the profile of a woman o ...

Tsé Yí Gai High School, Smith Lake, New Mexico
Jemez Valley High School,

Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico Jemez Pueblo (/ˈhɛmɛz/; tow, Walatowa, nv, Mąʼii Deeshgiizh) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,788 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statist ...

Pine Hill High School Pine Hill Schools is a K-12 tribal school system operated by the Ramah Navajo School Board, Inc. (RNSB), in association with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), in Pine Hill, New Mexico. It is on the Ramah Navajo Reservation and was originally ...

Pinehill, New Mexico Pinehill or Pine Hill is a census-designated place in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. It is located on the Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation. The population was 88 at the 2010 census. The location of the CDP in 2010 had become the locati ...

Navajo Pine High School Navajo Pine High School is a public high school in Navajo, New Mexico. It is a part of Gallup-McKinley County Schools. The school was established in 1986. By July, Tom Arviso of the ''Navajo Times'' stated that the likely rumor was that the warrior ...

, Navajo, New Mexico
Navajo Prep High School.

Farmington, New Mexico Farmington is a city in San Juan County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census the city had a total population of 46,624 people. Farmington (and surrounding San Juan County) makes up one of the four Metropolitan Statistical Area ...

Dulce High School,

Dulce, New Mexico Dulce ( or ; apj, Lóosi) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 2,743 at the 2010 census, almost entirely Native American. It is the largest community and tribal headquarters of ...

Ramah High School,

Ramah, New Mexico Ramah ( nv, – place of wild onions) is a census-designated place (CDP) in McKinley County, New Mexico. The population was 407 at the time of 2000 census and 370 at the 2010 United States Census. Geography Ramah is located at (35.135013, -1 ...

Newcomb High School Newcomb High School is a public high school in Newcomb, New Mexico (USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consi ...

Newcomb, New Mexico Newcomb ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 387 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Farmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is on the Trails of the Ancients Byway, ...

Crownpoint High School,

Crownpoint, New Mexico Crownpoint ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) on the Navajo Nation in McKinley County, New Mexico. The population was 2,500 at the time of the 2010 census. It is located along the Trails of the Ancients Byway, one of the designated New ...

Zuni High School Zuni High School (ZHS) is a public high school in Black Rock, New Mexico, with a Zuni Pueblo postal address. It is a part of the Zuni Public School District. It includes sections in Cibola County and McKinley County (including Zuni Pueblo and Bl ...

, Zuni, New Mexico
Wingate High School,

Fort Wingate, New Mexico Fort Wingate was a military installation near Gallup, New Mexico. There were two other locations in New Mexico called Fort Wingate: Seboyeta, New Mexico (1849–1862) and San Rafael, New Mexico (1862–1868). The most recent Fort Wingate (186 ...

Rehoboth High School, Rehoboth, New Mexico

Tohatchi High School Tohatchi High School is a public high school in Tohatchi, New Mexico. It is a part of Gallup-McKinley County Schools. Communities in its attendance boundary include Tohatchi, Brimhall Nizohini, Nakaibito, and Twin Lakes. History The original b ...

Tohatchi, New Mexico Tohatchi ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in McKinley County, New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States. It is known as a health services and education hub along Highway 491. The population was reported to be 785 at the 2020 census. ...

Thoreau High School Thoreau High School is a public high school in Thoreau, New Mexico. It is a part of Gallup-McKinley County Schools. Communities in its boundary include Thoreau, Continental Divide, Prewitt, and Smith Lake. History In 1964 the Navajo Tribal Cou ...

, Thoreau, New Mexico
Bloomfield High School,

Bloomfield, New Mexico Bloomfield ( nv, ) is a city in northeastern San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Farmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,112 at the 2010 census. It is on the Trails of the Ancients Byway, one o ...

Shiprock Northwest High School Shiprock Associated Schools, Inc. (SASI) is an organization that operates two schools associated with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) in Shiprock, New Mexico: * Atsá Biyáázh Community School (elementary) * Northwest Middle & High School Th ...

, Shiprock, New Mexico
Shiprock High School, Shiprock, New Mexico
Kirtland Central High School,

Kirtland, New Mexico Kirtland is a town, made up of part of the former census-designated place (CDP) of the same name in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. The population of the former CDP was 6,190 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Farmington Metropo ...

Miyamura High School, Gallup, New Mexico

Gallup High School Gallup High School (GHS) is a public high school in Gallup, New Mexico. Gallup High School is the largest high school in the Gallup-McKinley County School District. The school's campus is relatively new as GHS moved to its current location in 1998 ...

, Gallup, New Mexico

Piedra Vista High School Piedra Vista High School (PVHS) is a public high school in Farmington, New Mexico, founded in 1998. It is part of the Farmington Municipal School District. PVHS is one of two high schools in Farmington and is located on the city's northeast sid ...

Farmington High School,

Aztec High School Aztec High School is a public high school in Aztec, New Mexico. The school colors are black and orange and the mascot is the Fighting Tiger. In addition to Aztec, the district (and effectively the high school) also serves northern Bloomfield a ...

Aztec, New Mexico Aztec ( nv, Kinteel) is a city in, and the county seat of, San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,763. The Aztec Ruins National Monument is located on the north side of the city. Geogra ...

Native American Community Academy Native American Community Academy (NACA) is a charter K-12 school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It opened in 2006. Originally it was a grade 6-12 school, with grades 6-10 taking classes at temporary buildings on the grounds of Wilson Middle School, ...

, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Elsewhere

Sherman Indian High School Sherman Indian High School (SIHS) is an off-reservation boarding high school for Native Americans. Originally opened in 1892 as the Perris Indian School, in Perris, California, the school was relocated to Riverside, California in 1903, under the n ...

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...

Wyoming Indian High School, Ethete, Wyoming
Whitehorse High School, Montezuma Creek, Utah

Ignacio High School Ignacio is a male Spanish and Galician name originating either from the Roman family name Egnatius, meaning born from the fire, of Etruscan origin, or from the Latin name " Ignatius" from the word "Ignis" meaning "fire". This was the name of s ...

Ignacio, Colorado The Town of Ignacio ( Ute language: Piinuu) is a Statutory Town in La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The population was 697 at the 2010 United States Census. It is the headquarters of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. Geography Ign ...

Monument Valley High School, Monument Valley, Utah

Navajo Mountain High School Navajo Mountain High School is a senior high school in Navajo Mountain, Utah, United States, a census-designated place within the Navajo Nation in southwestern San Juan County. Description The school, a part of the San Juan School District, u ...

Navajo Mountain, Utah Navajo Mountain ( nv, Naatsisʼáán) is a census-designated place (CDP) on the Navajo Nation in southwestern San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 379 at the 2000 census. Description The CDP is named after Navajo Mountai ...

Uintah River High School,

Duchesne, Utah Duchesne ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Duchesne County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,588 at the 2020 census. Geography Duchesne is located just west of the junction of the Strawberry and Duchesne rivers in the Uintah ...

References

External links

{{Portal, Sports
Native American Basketball Invitational website
*http://www.nmact.org/ *http://www.aiaonline.org/ Forms of basketball Native American sports and games Basketball in Arizona Basketball in New Mexico Basketball in California Basketball in Wyoming Basketball in Utah Basketball in Colorado