BUFFALO, N.Y. — Tehoka Nanticoke's story has been told quite a few times around Banditland. Born on the Six Nations reserve in Ontario, he grew up an avid fan of the Buffalo Bandits and was even a ball boy for the team, soaking up time and experiences with John Tavares and Matt Vinc. Now he adds another milestone and core memory to his life in lacrosse: NLL Champion.

"I'm still getting goosebumps thinking about it," Nanticoke said ahead of the championship celebrations in an exclusive chat with Spectrum News 1 Buffalo. "Means the world. There's no words that can really describe the feeling that I'm still feeling. I think the biggest thing for me is just remembering why I play the game and being able to be here — on top of the world. There's nothing to say, other than I've worked my whole life for this moment and now that it's here, still sitting in it and soaking it up."

Twelve days after beating Colorado 13-4 in Game 3 of the NLL Finals and earning the Bandits' fifth franchise title, the raw emotion that comes with perhaps his sweetest victory has yet to wear off; however, Nanticoke says it took Buffalo much more than one game to climb this mountain. In fact, from start to finish, the Bandits' season was exactly six months long.

"Now that you ask it and I can kind of think about it, I think about every game throughout the year," Nanticoke said when asked what stood out to him as he reflected upon victory. "Every game that our 25 guys, or 23 guys that we have on the roster, everything we've been through as a team. F—, just thinking about that is, like we deserved this. We did everything we had to do all year to feel this right here."

When I asked Nanticoke what this moment means in the grand scheme of his journey, Tehoka used a phrase I've heard often around the sport: "lacrosse is medicine." Lacrosse is America's oldest team spot, originally played by the Haudenosaunee right here in New York and Canada, with the cultural and spiritual belief that the game is a give from the Creator above. That alone is much more than historical context for Nanticoke — it's his entire purpose.

“It's why I left home in 2014. It's why I moved to prep school in Florida. It's why I strived to get a degree in college," Nanticoke explained through tears. "It's just a lot. I play the game for much more than winning on the sheet. I got 20+ nieces and nephews back home. I want to show them as well as everybody in the world that this game is f—ing beautiful. This game can do so much for you. Whatever you give, the sport gives it back in 10 times."

Nanticoke spent the rest of his Thursday reveling in all that he has given to Banditland and all that has been given back to him, including the 2023 NLL Cup.