It was as good as it gets for Holmberg, who had spent most of the roller-coaster season practicing in a makeshift cafeteria gym after his small western Alaska village of Kalskag had a fire burn the entire school to the ground.
All that daily struggle was over. Holmberg was on top of the world as a state champion.
The 16-year-old’s borders were dramatically expanded this week during his first trip outside Alaska.
Holmberg is in Phoenix for the Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI), the only all Native American NCAA-affiliated basketball tournament in North America.
On Wednesday, Holmberg and his Alaska teammates opened the tournament by edging the Ballerz of Crownpoint, N.M., 66-62. Team Alaska was to play two games Thursday to determine if it advances into the final bracket and has a chance at the tournament championship.
The high school junior and state 1A player of the year is part of the first Alaska all-star team to appear at the seventh annual tournament, which began Wednesday. Holmberg is hoping his basketball skills could lead to a college scholarship.
