Meet Wild William Wesley: the voice of the All Native Basketball Tournament

Wild William Wesley is a household name in parts of Northern B.C.

The radio broadcaster has been covering the All Native Basketball Tournament in Prince Rupert for more than three decades with Terrace-based CFNR Radio.

This year, he's being inducted into the tournament's hall of fame.

"It's a great honour," he said. "I'm joining a great, elite club."

His brother is already listed in the hall of fame, along with a couple of his cousins and former teammates, in a tournament history that stretches back six decades.  

From court to mic

Wesley is considered the voice of the tournament, but long before he picked up the mic, he was one of the athletes. He retired from the game in 1976.

"I used to shoot all of my shots from the three-point range, when it was two points then,"  he told CBC's Nicole Oud.

After he left the game, the shots started being worth three points. He always wondered how many more points he could have scored, he chuckled.

At his best, he scored 48 points in one game.

"It just felt like the ball was mine," he said. "You can't do anything wrong. It's a good feeling. "

'Watch the spectators'

But, ultimately, the game is about the fans for Wesley.

"The spectators are what we're here for," he said. "Not just the trophy, not just the number one team but the spectators who appreciate the game, and you bring it to them."

More than four dozen teams from across B.C. and Alaska gathered in Prince Rupert for the tournament this week, which runs until Friday.

"Go to a little quiet corner and watch the spectators — not  the game but just watch the spectators. I do that every once in awhile," he said.

"It's really neat to watch how they get involved in the game, because that's what's it's all about."

All week, CBC's Nicole Oud is covering the All Native Basketball Tournament which runs Feb. 10-16, 2019. Tune into CBC Radio One's Daybreak North to hear more.