An Extraordinary Opportunity:

Red Cloud Student-Athletes Play Alongside the Denver Nuggets

posted on March 27, 2014 

Basketball is a passion at Red Cloud and all across the Pine Ridge Reservation. So the excitement was palpable this week as ten Red Cloud student-athletes walked onto the Pepsi Center court in Denver where the Denver Nuggets play their home games

Since 2009, the Nuggets have invited Red Cloud students to visit the Pepsi Center, take in a game—and then play before the Nuggets crowd during halftime in recognition of their hard work in the classroom and strong sense of citizenship.

This year, the Red Cloud team took to the court during Native American Night, where a sold-out crowd had filled the arena. Greeted by the cheers and support of 18,000 Nuggets fans, they played their hearts out, met Nuggets players and experienced life in the NBA for one extraordinary night.

Athletic Director Christian McGhee said the trip was an amazing experience for all his players.

“The kids had a blast!  They got to tour the practice court and the locker room, and then sit on the Nuggets bench during the pregame shoot around. They played well during halftime, and one even got a dunk! I think they’ll remember this trip forever.”

The Red Cloud Crusaders are incredibly grateful to the Nuggets and Kroenke Sports for this extraordinary opportunity--and for encouraging our students to work hard both on and off the court.

In Their Words:

Red Cloud’s Student-Athletes Reflect on their Night with the Nuggets

Junior Randy Hughes says playing alongside his favorite team, the Nuggets, was a thrill.

“The whole trip was a highlight. It was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go out into a professional field and meet professional athletes. We didn’t know details beforehand, but when we heard we’d have the whole Pepsi Center court to ourselves, it was really great. We got to feel the whole environment…and see the players on and off the court,” he explains.

“Being out on the court, I remember I caught the ball and went up, bounced the ball off the backboard. I knew it was going in when it left my hands—but the realization was when the announcer announced my name. He said, ‘Randy Hughes, kissing it off the glass.’ It was memorable…and a moment of real confidence that I did it.”

Junior Kein Clements says dunking on an NBA court was an amazing opportunity.

“I thought—okay, I’m going to do this now, in front of all these people. I felt the pressure and the nervousness, but after I dunked it I felt pretty good about myself and accomplished. Afterwards a lot of fans asked me if I knew who dunked. I told them it was me, and they looked pretty astonished,” he says.

“We got to browse around the locker room, shoot around on the main court, and scrimmage another high school. It’s a great opportunity to be able to go there and meet an NBA team—it’s just a great feeling.”

Learn more about Red Cloud’s Student-Athletes

All Content, ©Red Cloud Indian School, 2014