Kyrie Irving Named 'Little Mountain' in Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Ceremony

Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving was honored Thursday by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe with a naming ceremony where he was presented with the Lakota name Little Mountain.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reported Irving and his older sister, Asia Irving, took part in the traditional observance led by tribe elder Vernon Iron Horse.

"We're welcoming home two of our own," Standing Rock chairman Mike Faith said. "This definitely is history."

Joey Lamar of KXMB provided a picture of the proceedings:

Irving's mother, Elizabeth Larson, was a member of the tribe before getting adopted out during her youth. She died when Irving was four, but he has embraced her background and he got a tattoo with the tribe's logo on his neck, per Windhorst. Irving also supported the tribe's effort to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline.

He referenced the Standing Rock Sioux, which is based on a reservation in North Dakota and South Dakota, in an Instagram post about his season-ending knee injury in April.

"To know that he has not forgotten his roots and is taking the time before he starts his basketball season to visit the People, his People, shows that Kyrie has great character and pride in his heritage," Faith told Christopher Vondracek of the Rapid City Journal last week.

Irving, who expressed confidence in his availability for the start of the 2018-19 season to Jeff Goodman of Stadium last month, also had the tribe logo added to an edition of his Nike signature shoes.