A Champion in life: Diné basketball entertainer shows students to follow their dreams

Posted by Kianna Joe | Nov 9, 2023 | People |

WINDOW ROCK – Jerrickson Hosteen, a basketball entertainer and youth motivational speaker, became an entertainer because of one person: “Hot Sauce,” or Phillip Champion, an AND1 streetball tour player.

For years, the AND1 Streetball team has traveled around the country, playing in different towns, and competing against local teams in different basketball skill sets, such as dribbling. As a boy, Hosteen had the chance to see Champion exhibit his skills in person and knew he wanted to follow that path.

Courtesy | Jerrickson Hosteen
Basketball entertainer Jerrickson Hosteen speaks to students and staff during an assembly at Hopi Junior Senior High in First Mesa, Ariz. on Oct. 26.

“It all started with watching AND1 streetball and ‘Hot Sauce’ when I was a kid in Window Rock,” said Hosteen, 35, who is from Sawmill, Arizona, and is Tótsohnii born for Kinyaa’áanii. His maternal grandfather is Tábąąhá, and his paternal grandfather is Bįįh Bitoodnii.

On Wednesday, October 25, Hosteen stood alongside Champion and another basketball entertainer and professional dunker, Cordel Hardley, in Window Rock among middle school students, to be the person Champion was to him.

The trio traveled across Diné Bikéyah, performing at 10 schools and doing 16 assemblies for students (some schools had two or three assemblies). Each school had been honoring Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23-30, a week dedicated to learning and celebrating being drug and alcohol-free.

Natives have the highest rate of alcohol and drug use disorders and four in 10 Native youth, 12-17, have a prevalence in drug use, according to the American Addiction Center website.

“Being drug- and alcohol-free, I let them know that those are all the things I had to do in order to be a basketball entertainer,” said Hosteen.

Watching Champion

After countless hours of watching Champion on TV, Hosteen said that it felt surreal to be now playing and speaking to the youth in his community alongside him. The two ballers have developed a mutual respect.

“It’s always refreshing to work with someone who has a true love for the game of basketball,” said Champion, 47, about Hosteen.

When Hosteen first met Champion, he remembers freaking out. As their friendship formed, though, Champion became like an older brother to Hosteen.

Coming from the Navajo Nation himself, Hosteen told the students he knew what they were going through. He knows the environment, too.

Hosteen has been sober for 14 years, and the opportunity to be a basketball entertainer like Champion has helped him maintain his abstinence.

Champion has been an enormous influence on Hosteen. The protege said Champion’s example had led him to experience once-in-a-lifetime opportunities because of his focus on basketball.

“It’s always unique performing for the kids on the reservations because they might not be as exposed,” said Champion. “It’s great to pave the way for future generations because you never know who is watching and who will be inspired by what you do.”

Hosteen performed during a few Phoenix Suns Originative games in November and December 2022 and in January 2023 and at the NASCAR championship in Avondale, Arizona, Nov. 3-5.

Hosteen was once a young boy who sat in assemblies like the ones he’d spoken to over the past week and assured the students whatever they put their minds to, they could accomplish it.

“If I can do it, they can do it as well,” said Hosteen.