Derek Willis (Kentucky, United States, 1995) is one of the few Native Americans who play elite basketball. Trained in University of Kentucky, the power forward of Joventut, who measures today with Madrid (18:30, #Vamos), grew up on the Wind River Reservation (Wyoming) with his mother, a member of the Arapahoe, Pawnee and Muscogee.
Did you dream of being a basketball player?
Yes, I would say yes. She wanted to be an athlete, like that in general. My father played basketball in college, my mother played basketball in college. They have been athletes all their lives. I felt that the sport simply fit me, that it was natural to follow the same path as them.
Did you start with basketball?
Since I was a child I did a lot of sports. He played basketball, baseball… he was always doing some kind of activity that had to do with sports. Starting so early and having sports parents helped me, but above what they could teach or transmit to me was my love for basketball.
Are you Native American?
Yes, on the mother’s side.
Is it a source of pride?
Yes, a lot, of course. I grew up on a reservation in Wyoming but then moved out with my father who lived in Kentucky. I think that change made me lose touch with the reserve a little bit, because I was in a completely different kind of society. Besides, I was a kid, so I was interested in other things. I didn’t appreciate it until I was older. It was in college, or a little before, that I felt great pride in belonging to that community. It was then that I really wanted to understand and learn from the maternal side of my family.
Was it so different to live on the reservation?
Yes absolutely. Each reservation is different for that. Some have more resources, others less. Some very few. I’m pretty sure mine is the largest in the United States (actually Wind River is the third) and everything was very spread out. I lived like on a farm, just outside of Lander. Our neighbor owned the land but he lived in a separate house. There were about two or three kilometers between my house and his. It was all very far away, it was quite crazy. There was a small community but life is very hard there. Although that does not take away all the good things about it. The landscapes, the nature, the culture, the mountains… Everything is wonderful.
At least from Europe we have the perception that the Indian reservations are severely affected by problems such as alcoholism or gambling. Is it so?
It is clear that there is a stereotype that is repeated in movies or series, but it is also true that in the Native American community there are many problems with alcohol, drugs or gambling. But the tribes work to improve it and to get rid of that stereotype.
Are those the biggest problems in the community?
In Kentucky, where I later moved, there were a lot more people, a lot more things to do, a lot more opportunities. That is the main problem of the reserve, that there are not many opportunities for people.
But nevertheless you became a professional athlete. Do you feel like a role model?
Yes, and I’m very proud of it too. Especially knowing that a lot of people in the community follow me on social media and follow my career, they want to know how I’m doing around here. I try to play the best I can and be kind of an inspiration. For some kids, sports is the only way to get to university and have a better life. The message that I try to send is that if I have been able, they can too. I come from the same place as them. It is not impossible.
Have you felt discriminated against?
No, I have never experienced racism in my life. And if I have suffered it, it is not something that has ever worried me, but no. I have always treated everyone with the respect that they have treated me.
Are there many more professional athletes who are Native American?
No, there are not many. I think in basketball there will be like five. Counting NBA and outside the United States.
You began your career at the hands of the ‘coach’ Calipari, one of the figures of university basketball.
Yes, he is someone super important. He is one of the highest paid (about 8 million dollars a year) but his salary reflects what he does. He is working all day, even out of season. He is always traveling somewhere, talking to someone or preparing for the next season.
Was it very important in your career?
I think I owe a large part of my success to him. He taught me the game, the details. What I learned at university transferred very well to my first team in Germany, Göttingen, where I just learned the European way of playing.
Was the adaptation hard?
The first year yes, but from December I began to understand what I should do. But yes, it takes time. For me and for all of us who came from playing in the United States. The rules, the physical level… It’s different.
And now how is it going with Carles Durán?
Very well. He is a coach who demands a lot from you but in the end he is the best for the team. We all have the same goal, to win every game and finish the regular season as well as possible. It’s simple, we want to win and play good basketball.
How do you see the match against Real Madrid?
It will be hard. It always is against teams like Real Madrid. But it is something that we expect, it does not catch us by surprise. We will be prepared.
And Badalona? What do you think?
I love it, it’s great. There is too much to do. It is comparable to some cities in the United States.
-Oh yeah? To which?
I don’t know let me think…
San Francisco?
I don’t think… Well I don’t know because I’ve never been to San Francisco. Reminds me of the best parts of Florida. I like the water, being on a boat, the beach… it’s like when I come home and go on vacation. I love it.