Larry Pretty Weasel of the Crow Nation is remembered by many basketball historians as the greatest Native American player ever to step onto a Montana court, and one of the most gifted players — of any background — in the state’s high school history. Growing up on the Crow Reservation, he learned the game shooting at small, homemade hoops nailed to trees and shed walls. He became a transcendent star at Hardin High School in the 1950s, at a time when integrated basketball on and around Montana’s reservations was still breaking new ground. Standing only 5-foot-10, he was not an imposing physical presence, but teammates and opponents alike marveled at his quick first two steps, his leaping ability, and a jump shot fired from 15 to 20 feet out.

Teammate Steven Dyche called him the complete package: a terrific scorer who was also the best ball-handler, best passer, best rebounder, and best defender on the floor. Another teammate, George Grover, remembered him as a tireless worker who never loafed in practice and never expected greatness — he just had it. His signature performance came at the 1957 Class A state tournament, where his Hardin Bulldogs placed third; he scored 148 points across four games, including a 48-point individual game that stood as a state tournament scoring record until 1984. He was also a state high jump champion and was named Montana’s most outstanding athlete.