At barely 5'10" Michael Linklater did not have an obvious path to basketball stardom. The constant grind of racism did not help the Saskatoon, Thunderbay, and Thunderchild First Nation phenom either.

But he turned every slur and slight into fuel for his personal fire of ambition. Linklater played on the Canadian national team, was ranked among the very top tier of 3x3 players worldwide, and retired with the 2019 CEBL championship to his credit. (Go Saskatchewan Rattlers!) Now he's pouring his energy back into helping indigenous youth. He’s the founder of ‘Boys with Braids’, a senior coach for NAIG, and the director of Prime Basketball Development, which gives first nations kids everywhere the coaching and mentorship that can make all the difference