Lindy Waters III (born July 28, 1997) is a Kiowa-American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He was named a finalist for the NBA 2023–24 Social Justice Champion Award for the work his foundation does to support Native American youth through sports, health and wellness.[1]
| No. 43 – Golden State Warriors | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard / small forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 28, 1997 Boulder, Colorado, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College | Oklahoma State (2016–2020) |
| NBA draft | 2020: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2021–present |
| Career history | |
| 2021 | Enid Outlaws |
| 2021–2022 | Oklahoma City Blue |
| 2022–2024 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2022–2024 | →Oklahoma City Blue |
| 2024–present | Golden State Warriors |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Early life
editWaters was born on July 28, 1997, to Lindy Waters Jr. and Lisa Waters.[2] Waters attended Norman North High School. During his senior year, he posed for a picture with an airsoft gun after losing a bet with friends. Waters was expelled after the incident and transferred to Sunrise Christian Academy. After several months, he was allowed to return to Norman North and re-joined the basketball team, helping the team reach the state title game.[3] In November 2015, Waters committed to playing college basketball for Oklahoma State.[4]
College career
editDuring his freshman year, Waters sustained a concussion and a fractured foot that caused him to miss several games. He averaged 5.7 points per game on a team that reached the NCAA Tournament.[3] As a sophomore, Waters averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. In August 2018, he was named "Indian of the Year" by an Intertribal Council.[5] Waters averaged 12.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game as a junior.[6] As a senior, Waters averaged 10.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.[7]
Professional career
editEnid Outlaws (2021)
editAfter going undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft, Waters signed with the Enid Outlaws of The Basketball League on March 31, 2021.[7] In 17 games, he averaged 12.6 points, 4.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. On July 6, 2021, he signed with Palmer Alma Mediterránea of the LEB Oro.[8] However, the contract was voided on August 14 due to bureaucratic problems.[9]
Oklahoma City Thunder / Blue (2021–2024)
editIn October 2021, Waters joined the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA G League after a successful tryout.[10] He averaged 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game in his first season for the Blue.
On February 10, 2022, Waters was signed to a two-way contract by his hometown team the Oklahoma City Thunder.[11]
On February 27, 2023, the Thunder converted Waters' deal into a multi-year standard contract.[12] He was assigned to the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA G League on March 2, 2023.[13] On August 18, the Thunder re-signed Waters III to a two-way contract after declining his team option[14] and on February 9, 2024, he signed a multi-year contract with the Thunder.[15]
Golden State Warriors (2024–present)
editOn June 27, 2024, the Golden State Warriors traded their 52nd draft pick for Waters III, however they re-acquired the pick just hours later, in exchange for cash compensation.[16]
During a preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Waters hit a game-winning buzzer beater on October 5, 2024. This was his first career buzzer beating game-winner.[17]
On October 29, 2024, Waters scored a season-high 21 points, along with 8 rebounds in a blowout victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.[18]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
editRegular season
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Oklahoma City | 25 | 1 | 18.6 | .406 | .363 | .800 | 2.9 | 1.0 | .8 | .3 | 8.0 |
| 2022–23 | Oklahoma City | 41 | 0 | 12.9 | .393 | .358 | .800 | 1.8 | .7 | .3 | .3 | 5.2 |
| 2023–24 | Oklahoma City | 38 | 0 | 7.4 | .471 | .435 | 1.000 | 1.1 | .6 | .1 | .2 | 3.6 |
| 2024–25 | Golden State | 4 | 0 | 11 | .684 | .583 | 1.000 | 2.5 | 1.25 | .5 | .0 | 8.75 |
| Career | 104 | 1 | 12.3 | .416 | .377 | .815 | 1.8 | .7 | .4 | .3 | 5.3 | |
Play-in
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Oklahoma City | 2 | 0 | 10.5 | .286 | .167 | — | 1.5 | 1.0 | .5 | .0 | 2.5 |
| Career | 2 | 0 | 10.5 | .286 | .167 | — | 1.5 | 1.0 | .5 | .0 | 2.5 | |
Playoffs
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Oklahoma City | 3 | 0 | 2.8 | .000 | .000 | — | .3 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 3 | 0 | 2.8 | .000 | .000 | — | .3 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Oklahoma State | 23 | 12 | 16.0 | .495 | .442 | .714 | 1.8 | .8 | .6 | .0 | 5.7 |
| 2017–18 | Oklahoma State | 35 | 31 | 27.1 | .443 | .373 | .768 | 3.7 | 2.0 | .9 | .4 | 8.7 |
| 2018–19 | Oklahoma State | 32 | 32 | 33.8 | .437 | .448 | .878 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 1.3 | .2 | 12.2 |
| 2019–20 | Oklahoma State | 31 | 30 | 31.7 | .381 | .317 | .825 | 4.2 | 2.4 | 1.2 | .1 | 10.5 |
| Career | 121 | 105 | 27.9 | .427 | .390 | .817 | 3.6 | 2.1 | 1.0 | .2 | 9.5 | |
Personal life
editWaters is an enrolled citizen of the Kiowa tribe and he is also of Cherokee Nation descent.[10][19]
References
edit- ^ "Border politics in Arizona". ICT News. May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- ^ Gallo, Nick (March 10, 2022). "Honoring the Native Tradition - Lindy Waters III's Connection to His People". okcthunder.com. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ a b Scarborough, Alex (February 8, 2019). "Lindy Waters III and how to make the most of a second chance". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ Mayberry, Darnell (November 6, 2015). "Former Norman North guard Lindy Waters commits to OSU". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ Lancaster, Zach (August 20, 2018). "Lindy Waters Named Indian Of The Year By Intertribal Council". 247 Sports. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ "Oklahoma State guard Waters wants to open doors for Native American players". Intertribal Athletics. September 26, 2019. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ a b "Outlaws sign former Cowboy Lindy Waters III". Enid News & Eagle. March 31, 2021. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ "El Palmer Palma ficha al norteamericano Lindy Waters". Diario de Mallorca (in Spanish). July 6, 2021. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ "Rescisión del contrato de Lindy Waters III". Bahiasanagustin.es (in Spanish). August 14, 2021. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ a b "Honoring the Native Tradition - Lindy Waters III's Connection to His People". NBA.com. November 20, 2021. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ "Thunder Signs Lindy Waters III to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. February 10, 2022. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ "Thunder Signs Lindy Waters III to Multi-Year Contract". NBA.com. February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ "OKC Thunder news: Lindy Waters III assigned to G League's OKC Blue". Yahoo.com. March 3, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- ^ "Thunder Signs Lindy Waters III to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ "Thunder Signs Lindy Waters III to Multi-Year Contract". NBA.com. February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ "Warriors Acquire Guard Lindy Waters III From Thunder". NBA.com. June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ "Former Thunder Guard Dominates Preseason Opener With Viral Buzzer Beater". Oklahoma City Thunder On SI. October 6, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
- ^ "What we learned as Podz, Waters fuel Warriors' comeback win vs. Pels". NBC Sports Bay Area & California. October 29, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
- ^ "Why Native American heritage fuels newest Warrior Waters". NBC Sports Bay Area. Retrieved September 9, 2024.