The Tribe Athletics Native American Nationals has always been bigger than basketball.
It is culture. It is pride. It is representation. It is a platform where Indigenous athletes can step on the floor and be seen, celebrated, and respected for who they are, where they come from, and the communities they represent.
This year, that mission reached a historic new level.
Lake City Boys Basketball traveled from Aotearoa, the Indigenous name of New Zealand, to compete in the Tribe Athletics Native American Nationals, representing the Māori people on one of the biggest Indigenous basketball stages in the world. Their presence was not just another team entering a tournament. It was a powerful moment for the Tribe Athletics Foundation, for Indigenous basketball, and for the growing connection between Native communities across the globe.
For the Tribe Athletics Foundation, this was history. The event has already built a strong reputation for bringing together Native American and Indigenous athletes from across the United States, Canada, and beyond, but Lake City’s arrival from Aotearoa showed the true global potential of the platform. It opened the door for more Indigenous nations, more cultures, and more athletes from around the world to be connected through the game of basketball.
For GC3 Hoops, this moment hit home.
As a Native Hawaiian and a strong advocate for Polynesian basketball, I have always believed that the Pacific is loaded with athletes who deserve more visibility, more coverage, and more opportunity. Polynesian athletes bring a different type of pride to the game. They play with physicality, passion, toughness, and a deep connection to family and culture. Too often, those athletes are overlooked or under-covered simply because they are outside of the traditional recruiting map.
Lake City coming to the Tribe Athletics Native American Nationals was proof that the reach is growing. It was proof that Indigenous basketball is not limited by borders. It was proof that the Pacific belongs in these conversations.
Lake City Roster
Max Gunderson
Shaun-Chase Downes
Taiari Karipa
Zach Corbett
Hunter Adams
Keanu Walker-Ryan
McKenzie Harvey-Rameka
Toby Carter
Head Coach Daz Karipa
Lake City did not just show up to participate. They showed up to compete.
From the opening tip, this group played with toughness, energy, and pride. They had the look of a team that understood the moment. They represented Aotearoa with purpose, and they carried themselves with the type of edge that immediately stood out.
This was not a soft group. Lake City had athletes who were willing to defend, battle, absorb contact, attack the rim, and compete possession after possession. There was a physical presence to the way they played, and even while adjusting to a new environment, new competition, and a different style of basketball, they showed they belonged on the floor.
The team is led by Coach Daz Karipa, who has built a group of tough-minded athletes with real upside. You can tell there is a foundation being laid. Lake City has the type of program identity that can travel: toughness, discipline, pride, and physical play. Those are traits that translate anywhere.
Coach Karipa has a collection of athletes who are not afraid of competition. They play hard, they embrace contact, and they have the type of mindset that can help a program grow quickly. With continued exposure, player development, and opportunities to compete internationally, Lake City has the potential to become one of the premier programs from Eastern Polynesia in the near future.
Prospect Spotlight: Taiari Karipa
One of the top prospects who stood out for Lake City was Taiari Karipa, a 6’1” combo guard in the Class of 2028.
Karipa immediately caught my attention because of how hard he competed. He is not the type of guard who fades into the game. He plays with presence. He has confidence with the ball in his hands, toughness in his approach, and the competitive edge you want to see from a young guard.
At 6’1”, Karipa showed legitimate combo guard ability. He can handle the ball, create offense, make plays, and score from multiple spots on the floor. What stood out most was his ability to score from all three levels. He showed he could attack the rim and finish through contact, pull up in the mid-range, and knock down perimeter shots when the defense gave him space.
He is a tough downhill guard who does not shy away from physicality. When he gets his shoulders turned, he can put pressure on the defense and force rotations. He plays with good pace, competes hard, and has the confidence to take big shots and make plays in key moments.
Karipa also has a natural feel as a playmaker. He is capable of creating for himself, but he also showed flashes of being able to get others involved. As he continues to grow, strengthen his body, tighten his reads, and become more consistent as a decision-maker, he has a chance to develop into a very intriguing guard prospect.
The biggest thing with Karipa is the competitive makeup. He plays like someone who wants the challenge. He does not back down. He competes possession by possession, and that is something you cannot teach.
There is also something special about watching him play under his father, Coach Daz Karipa. You can see the connection between the way Lake City plays and the way Taiari carries himself. Tough. Proud. Fearless. Competitive. He represents the program, his family, and his people the right way.
Karipa is definitely a prospect GC3 Hoops will continue to track moving forward.
More Than a Game
Lake City’s trip to the Tribe Athletics Native American Nationals was bigger than a basketball tournament.
It was a cultural moment.
It was the Māori of Aotearoa connecting with Native American, Native Hawaiian, Polynesian, and Indigenous athletes through competition. It was young men carrying their community into a gym and showing that Indigenous basketball is global. It was a reminder that the game can bring nations together in a way that goes far beyond the scoreboard.
That matters.
Representation matters.
For athletes from the Pacific, visibility can change everything. One article, one evaluation, one highlight, one event, one connection can open a door. That is why GC3 Hoops continues to push for expanded exposure into Hawaiʻi, Samoa, Tonga, Aotearoa, Guam, American Samoa, and across the Pacific. There are athletes in these communities who have the talent, toughness, and character to play at higher levels. They just need to be seen.
Lake City helped move that mission forward.
They carried the Māori flag into a space that celebrates Indigenous athletes. They competed with pride. They showed toughness. They showed potential. Most importantly, they showed that there is a real pathway for more teams from the Pacific to be part of this movement.
The Future Is Bright
Lake City Boys Basketball made history, but this feels like only the beginning.
Coach Daz Karipa has the foundation of something special. With the right development, exposure, and continued opportunities to compete against high-level competition, Lake City has a chance to become one of the top programs coming out of Eastern Polynesia.
Their athletes already have the toughness. They already have the pride. They already have the competitive spirit. As the skill development continues to rise and more exposure opportunities come their way, this is a program that could become a serious name to know in Indigenous and Polynesian basketball circles.
Taiari Karipa is a prospect to watch.
Lake City is a program to watch.
And this historic appearance at the Tribe Athletics Native American Nationals is a moment that should be remembered.
The Māori of Aotearoa were represented with pride. The Pacific was represented with purpose. Indigenous basketball took another step forward.
And GC3 Hoops will continue to push to make sure these athletes, these programs, and these communities get the exposure they deserve.
