His high school coach called him "the Michael Jordan of rural Alaska." But Butch Lincoln had a humble beginning.
"My athletic career really started on the dirt basketball courts of Kotzebue," he said.
His parents and grandparents were also born and raised in Kotzebue. Lincoln, now 52, said he first started playing basketball just to get outside and play with other kids in the community. It was a different time.
"You found yourself occupying your time and your days really playing outside," Lincoln said.
Decades later, he can still name off Kotzebue's backyard basketball courts — the cement court uptown, the Rec Center, the Mormon Church, the old gym, the Havilands, Pete Snyder's, June Nelson's, the Hensley's.
Playing on those courts, he started thinking about a big goal – to win a state championship for the Kotzebue Huskies.
Lincoln and the Huskies came close. As a high school sophomore in 1990, he led the team to the state 3A championship finals. It was the Husky boys' first, and so far, only, state finals appearance. The five-foot-seven point guard said that although they lost the championship game against Houston, he learned a lot from the experience.
"Humility, the importance of being an exceptional teammate, most importantly, in valuing the relationships you build with those you care about," Lincoln said. "When I think about my career, that's what I think most about, as opposed to my accomplishments."
The Kotzebue Huskies retired his jersey, number 12.
"It's in the rafters in the gym in Kotzebue," Lincoln said. "I wore it all four years, and it's really a highlight of my athletic career."
Lincoln went on to play for the University of Alaska Anchorage, helping the Seawolves win three Pacific West Conference titles and move on to the national NCAA tournament.
In 1999, Sports Illustrated honored Lincoln as one of Alaska's 50 greatest sports figures of the 20th century.
The Alaska Sports Report, an arm of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, said in a press release that Lincoln broke down social and racial barriers with the same ease as an opponent's press defense on the basketball court.
The report called Lincoln "a trailblazer for Alaska Natives and a role model for all players."
Lincoln said he didn't view things that way at the time.
"I did not fully appreciate the moment," he said. "My focus was centered on obtaining a college education to provide a better life for my family."
"From this vantage point, I'm grateful that other Alaska Natives were granted opportunities in athletics and education, and it's humbling to think that door is opened for others based on my success," he said.
Besides Lincoln, two other Alaska Sports Hall of Fame inductees were announced in December: legendary Alaska adventurer Dick Griffith and champion bowler Sean Rash.
After the induction ceremony in late spring, their portraits will be displayed at the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame gallery at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.
"I was very fortunate to have guidance and support from caring people who opened doors for me and provided me with opportunity," Lincoln said.
Today, Lincoln is the executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. He splits his time between Anchorage and Arizona, where he lives with his family.
Lincoln thanked his mother Lena McClellan and grandmothers Doris Lincoln and Amelia Porter, who he said continue to have a huge impact on his life. He said he was also grateful to his high school coach Craig McConnell, UAA and former Husky coach Charlie Bruns, fans Charlie Gregg, Don Koutchak Sr., Elvira Downey and many other community members.
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