After Lindy Waters III joins list of Native American to play for the Pistons, Redditor highlights tragic history of the previous 3

Lindy Waters III started the season with the Golden State Warriors but is now playing for the Detroit Pistons. Waters was part of the four-team deal that brought Jimmy Butler to the Bay Area before the trade deadline and made his debut for the Pistons on Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls.

Waters is one of three current NBA players with Native American heritage along with MarJon Beauchamp of the LA Clippers and Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks.

The former Warrior has Kiowa and Cherokee heritage, while Beauchamp is from the Mission Indians and La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians in California. As for Irving, his mother is of Lakota descent from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

One Redditor, @TheMajesticYeti, posted that Lindy Waters III is the fourth Native American player to suit up for the Detroit Pistons, joining Phil Jordon, Sonny Dove, and Bison Dele in the history books. The Redditor also noted Waters' last name in the context of the fact that Jordon, Dove and Dele all passed away in their 30s in water-related deaths.

Jordon was the first Native American to play in the NBA, suiting up for four different teams in seven seasons from 1956 to 1963. He died in a rafting accident on June 7, 1965. Dove played two seasons in the league from 1967 to 1969, continuing his career in the ABA for three more years. After his career was over, Dove, per the New York Times, drove a taxi and died after accidentally driving his cab off an open drawbridge.

Last night, Lindy Waters became the 4th Native American to play for the Detroit Pistons. In an eerie coincidence, the prior 3 all suffered tragic water-related deaths in their 30s. Waters, who is 27, may want to avoid the water in a few years. byu/TheMajesticYeti innba

Dele, who might be the most famous Native American player, was born Brian Williams before changing his name to Bison Dele. He retired in 1999 and went on to travel the world. He bought a boat but disappeared at sea in 2002 near Tahiti. It is widely believed that his brother, Miles Dabord, killed him and two other people. Per ESPN, the FBI launched an investigation into the matter.

---

Heritage and history fuel Lindy Waters III in the NBA

Heritage and history fuel Lindy Waters III in the NBA. (Photo: IMAGN)

It's hard to get into the NBA since it takes a lot of skills, talent, hard work and luck. Lindy Waters III was fueled by his heritage to achieve his dream of reaching the NBA and continue playing basketball professionally, as he said on the "Dubs Talk" podcast in December, according to NBC Sports Bay Area:

"It fuels me every single day knowing that these times now are so much easier than what they had to go through. I’m not going to let any little adversity that comes into my life affect anything. I’m going to keep pushing. I’m going to keep pressing on and I’m going to keep fighting."

Waters began his career as an undrafted rookie with the OKC Thunder in 2021 before getting traded to the Golden State Warriors in the offseason. Now, he's playing for the Detroit Pistons, who have a shot at returning to the playoffs.