WILLIAM Hickey might be one of Ballarat's best basketballers, but first and foremost he is an indigenous man proud of his people and his homeland.
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From the inland northern New South Wales Wiradjuri/Gamilaroi (Gomeroi) people, Hickey will have an extra step on his rivals this weekend when he wears the Ballarat Miners indigenous jersey as part of NBL1's Indigenous Round.
First people will be celebrated at the Ballarat Sports and Events Centre on Saturday night when the Miners and Rush play host to Knox.
For Hickey, anytime he can represent his people is a special time.
"The thing that I'm proudest of is my culture," he said. "I'm a strong, proud Indigenous man and this jersey is something I'll take great pride in wearing.
"Being an indigenous man, culture is the number one thing I take part in, I'm that before a basketball player.
"I love the jersey, especially being able to get a local artist to design it."
Artist Jayden Lillyst said he had initially designed the jersey for the 2020 season and was proud that his work would be able to be seen this weekend.
He said the lettering on the front with the spelling 'Ballaarat' was the Wadawurrung word for the area while the jersey symbolised a journey and featured tracks with interpretations of the rising or setting sun, depending on your stage of the journey and the colour white which was significant to spirituality.
He said it symbolised the region as a stop off place for people.
"Even though I'm anywhere between Gunditjmara country out near Heywood and the city, this area is always seen as the stop off place for myself and friends," he said.
Lillyst said he had designed the jersey so young people could look, learn and understand its meaning.
"It's for them to say, 'I know what those colours mean, I know what that flag means', it gives a presence for our culture," he said.
"These are all things that point to health, our art keeps us healthy, our country keeps us healthy and sport keeps us healthy in mind, body and soul. Steps like this from sporting organisations help that on a community level."
Ballarat Rush player Alicia Froling said it was special to wear the jersey this weekend.
"It's great that we're recognising the first people of our land and we're showing kids that there is a pathway that they can do anything they want. The design is awesome. I love Indigenous art, it looks great and it will be a really cool thing for us to wear," she said.