Tobias Harris Rumors
All NBA Players
Position: F
Born: 07/15/92
Height: 6-9 / 2.06
Weight:226 lbs. / 102.5 kg.
Salary: $32,742,000
Born: 07/15/92
Height: 6-9 / 2.06
Weight:226 lbs. / 102.5 kg.
Salary: $32,742,000
Globally, there has been a lot of talk about Team USA’s absences, and the 32 players who withdraw their names from the preliminary roster. Fournier, 26 was critical of his competitors in the NBA: “It does [bother me]. To be honest, when you look at LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and all these guys… they came here already and won, so it’s fine. But for friends of mine like Tobias [Harris], I thought it was a great opportunity for him to see something different and compete. I think they don’t realize how beneficial this is for their career. It’s a great tournament, great basketball, super intense. I know you have to work on your game, but this is way better.”
You have the rep of a guy who improves year over year, and the numbers bear that out. What do you think is the biggest reason for that? Tobias Harris: I always just say, for me, to be able at the end of every season study and evaluate the game, evaluate my game, evaluate how I can improve on certain areas especially in the summer. So it’s been just really my offseason, being able to use that time to really enhance my game. And that’s what I do every offseason. That’s what I’ve been doing this offseason. So it always just happens.
Defensively, with Joel Embiid and Al Horford now, that’s a big frontcourt. But last year, you guarded a lot of fours, you even guarded Marc Gasol in the playoffs. Have you been talked to that you’re going to have to guard more threes? And is that something you’ve done? Tobias Harris: Yeah, I’ll be guarding threes. And in L.A., I was guarding threes at the beginning of the season. So I’m fine with that. I’ve been working on my defense and my lateral quickness all summer. I’m impressed with a lot of the things I’m getting better at.
For someone who bet on himself, was there a moment where it was extremely satisfying knowing that it was going to work out for you and the Sixers? Tobias Harris: Oh yeah, it was probably the minute that I went with it. Like, it was an awesome feeling, one I’ll never forget. I guess going into free agency, you’re still just a little nervous because you don’t know everything that can go on and happen. It was just a relief.
Next year is an Olympic year, and Harris could again face the possibility of being invited to the USA basketball camp. The Olympic Games will be held July 24 to Aug. 9 in Tokyo. “I want to be out there like any basketball player,” he said. “If the opportunity comes around next summer and I am healthy, it is something I would love to be part of.”
During a Wednesday morning interview with The Inquirer, before he would conduct the third day of a four-day free basketball and life skills camp for youngsters in Long Island, Harris said he felt withdrawing from the national team was the best decision for himself and the Sixers. “For me, the last two seasons playing every game is a lot, and a lot goes into my summer and training, and with free agency, that was [more than] a whole month where I wasn’t able to play contact-wise,” Harris said.
