Ebb and Flow athlete scores professional basketball contract in Thailand

After a successful college basketball career, Seth McKenzie was ready to start a life off the court. “I had no plans of doing anything else,” McKenzie said. “I was just kind of content where things finished.” Then, an opportunity 12 time zones and over 12,000 kilometres overseas came knocking. He couldn’t pass it up. “This team was like ‘hey, we’re looking for players, DM us your film and we’ll talk,’” he said. “So that’s exactly what I did.” First professional contract In September, McKenzie is jetting off to Bangkok, Thailand, to play his first professional basketball contract with the newly established Thailand Global Basketball League. “It’s a league made up of 20 teams and we’re all based in Thailand,” he said. “My team is Overseas Supreme.” A member of the Ebb and Flow First Nation in Treaty 2, McKenzie grew up in Winnipeg and began playing basketball in Grade 7. “My brother influenced me to play basketball,” he said. “When I first started playing, I wasn’t too sure, because I wasn’t really good but the more time he took with me, the easier it got, and the more I just fell in love with it.” When his senior year rolled around, the shooting guard was determined to play at the college level–but it wasn’t easy. “I just didn’t really have the right support that players typically get,” he said. “When I got to my grade twelve year, I started reaching out to different coaches, it was always ‘oh, we’re filled, try again next year, we’re not looking for someone your position and size’.” By the summer, his persistence paid off. After connecting with a coach from the Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) in Winnipeg, McKenzie signed a contract to play basketball for the CMU Blazers. ‘I’m really excited to represent a lot of people, like myself, Indigenous peoples,’ says McKenzie, seen here on an outdoor court in Winnipeg. Photo: Cierra Bettens/APTN. During his four years on the team, he averaged 16 points per game and received numerous accolades, including Player of the Month. After completing his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, he relocated to Abbotsford, B.C., on a year-long basketball contract with Columbia Bible College. “We travelled to Vancouver Island, Kelowna,” he said. “It was just a wonderful experience.” Through basketball, McKenzie also met his girlfriend–now one of his biggest supporters–after crossing paths at the Alberta Indigenous Games. “We met through basketball, and we travelled across Canada together,” he said. “She’ll let me know the hard truth, whether I want to hear it or not. She wants to see me succeed.” Global representation While still in Manitoba, McKenzie is playing for the Warchiefs, an Indigenous men’s basketball team. Ahead of his first adventure overseas, he looks forward to representing his community on a global stage. “I’m really excited to represent a lot of people, like myself, Indigenous peoples, [and] represent Winnipeg at the same time,” he said. “Just represent who we are.” Continue Reading