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North Dakota Standing Rock tribe to honor Celtics’ Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving

Boston Celtics’s Kyrie Irving plays against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 8, 2018, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

AP

It’s not something known by a lot of fans, but Celtics’ star Kyrie Irving has Native American roots. His mother (who has passed away), and Irving’s grandparents and on back on her side, were members of the North Dakota Standing Rock tribe, part of the Sioux nation.

Irving has a Standing Rock tribal image tattooed on his neck and even in social media messages about something else he has included #StandingRockSiouxTribe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhMonavHMi0/?taken-by=kyrieirving

Next week, Irving will head to North Dakota to be honored by them and take part in a community event.

Many people know Standing Rock as the tribe that stood up to and protested the Dakota Access Pipeline project, which ran an oil pipeline through their lands. Irving Tweeted support for them at the time.

Good for Irving. More and more NBA players seem to be honoring their heritage, their families. Irving’s takes a little different path than most, but he stands up strong for it.