Gary Harris facts for kids
Harris with the Orlando Magic in 2022
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| No. 14 – Orlando Magic | |
|---|---|
| Shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 14, 1994 Fishers, Indiana, U.S. |
| High school | Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Indiana) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Michigan State (2012–2014) |
| NBA Draft | 2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 19th overall |
| Selected by the Chicago Bulls | |
| Pro career | 2014–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 2014–2021 | Denver Nuggets |
| 2021–present | Orlando Magic |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Gary Harris is an American professional basketball player. He was born on September 14, 1994. Gary currently plays for the Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans.
Contents
High School Basketball Star
Gary Harris went to Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Indiana. He was a fantastic player from the start.
Sophomore and Junior Years
As a sophomore in 2009–10, Gary scored about 14 points per game. He also grabbed four rebounds and made three steals per game. He helped his team, Hamilton SE, achieve a great 17–4 record.
In his junior year (2010–11), Gary's skills grew even more. He averaged 18.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game. He led the Royals to a 20–4 record. They even reached the Class 4A regional finals. This was only the second time in the school's history they won a sectional championship.
Signing with Michigan State
In November 2011, Gary made a big decision. He signed a National Letter of Intent. This meant he would play college basketball for Michigan State University.
Senior Year Success
During his senior year (2011–12), Gary was outstanding. He averaged 25.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.0 steals per game. He led his team to a 22–3 record. They also made it to the Class 4A sectional final.
Gary finished his high school career with a school record. He scored 1,540 points in total. Experts like ESPNU100 and Scout.com ranked him among the top players in the country. They also saw him as one of the best shooting guards.
Football Talent Too!
Gary wasn't just good at basketball. He was also an amazing football player at Hamilton SE. He played wide receiver for three years. He helped his football team win three league championships. They also won a sectional championship in his senior year.
College Basketball Journey
Gary Harris played for Michigan State University from 2012 to 2014. He quickly made a name for himself.
Freshman Year Achievements (2012–13)
In his first year, Gary was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. This was a big deal! He was the first player from Michigan State to win this award since 1986. He was also chosen for the second-team All-Big Ten. Plus, he made the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
He played in 34 games and started 33 of them. On average, he scored 12.9 points per game. He also got 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
Sophomore Year Highlights (2013–14)
As a sophomore, Gary continued to shine. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. He was also on the All-Big Ten Defensive Team. This shows he was great at both offense and defense.
In one game against McNeese State, he scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. This was his first "double-double" (scoring double digits in two different stats). On January 25, 2014, he scored a career-high 27 points against Michigan.
In 35 games, he averaged 16.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. After this amazing season, Gary decided to enter the 2014 NBA draft. He chose to leave college two years early to pursue his dream.
Professional Basketball Career
Gary Harris began his professional career in the NBA in 2014.
Playing for the Denver Nuggets (2014–2021)
On June 26, 2014, Gary was picked 19th overall in the 2014 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. But on the same night, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He joined the Nuggets along with another player, Jusuf Nurkić.
He signed his first NBA contract on July 31. Gary made his NBA debut on November 14, 2014. He scored 13 points in a win against the Indiana Pacers.
In July 2015, Gary played for the Nuggets again in the 2015 NBA Summer League. The Nuggets then extended his contract through the 2016–17 season. He became the starting shooting guard for the 2015–16 season. On November 20, he scored a career-high 20 points against the Phoenix Suns. Later, on December 14, he scored 21 points in a win over the Houston Rockets. He matched this high score two more times that season.
In 2016, Gary joined the USA Men's Select Team. This team trained with the USA Basketball Men's National Team. They were getting ready for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.
The 2016–17 season had some challenges for Gary. He missed some games due to injuries. But when he returned, he played very well. On December 19, he scored a career-high 24 points against the Dallas Mavericks. He kept improving, scoring 25 points on February 24, 2017. Then he scored 26 points on March 8, and a new career high of 28 points on March 20.
On October 12, 2017, Gary signed a big four-year contract extension with the Nuggets. He continued to have great games. On December 13, 2017, he scored an amazing 36 points against the Boston Celtics. He matched this score on January 3, 2018, against the Phoenix Suns. On February 1, 2018, he made a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer! This helped the Nuggets win 127–124 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Gary faced some injuries in the 2018–19 season. He missed games due to a hip injury and hamstring tightness. He also had a right adductor strain.
Joining the Orlando Magic (2021–Present)
On March 25, 2021, Gary Harris was traded to the Orlando Magic. He moved there with R. J. Hampton and a future draft pick. This trade brought Aaron Gordon and Gary Clark to the Nuggets.
On June 30, 2022, Gary signed a new two-year contract with the Magic. In August, he had surgery on his left knee. On December 29, he was suspended for one game. This was because he left the bench during a fight in a game.
On July 6, 2024, Gary signed another two-year contract with the Magic.
NBA Career Statistics
These tables show Gary Harris's performance in the NBA.
Regular Season
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | Denver | 55 | 6 | 13.1 | .304 | .204 | .745 | 1.2 | .5 | .7 | .1 | 3.4 |
| 2015–16 | Denver | 76 | 76 | 32.1 | .469 | .354 | .820 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 1.3 | .2 | 12.3 |
| 2016–17 | Denver | 57 | 56 | 31.3 | .503 | .420 | .776 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 1.2 | .1 | 14.9 |
| 2017–18 | Denver | 67 | 65 | 34.4 | .485 | .396 | .827 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 1.8 | .2 | 17.5 |
| 2018–19 | Denver | 57 | 48 | 28.8 | .424 | .339 | .799 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 1.0 | .3 | 12.9 |
| 2019–20 | Denver | 56 | 55 | 31.8 | .420 | .333 | .815 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 1.4 | .3 | 10.4 |
| 2020–21 | Denver | 19 | 19 | 30.6 | .442 | .320 | .733 | 2.5 | 1.7 | .9 | .2 | 9.7 |
| Orlando | 20 | 19 | 24.9 | .365 | .364 | .875 | 1.6 | 2.3 | .6 | .4 | 10.2 | |
| 2021–22 | Orlando | 61 | 30 | 28.4 | .434 | .384 | .874 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.0 | .1 | 11.1 |
| 2022–23 | Orlando | 48 | 42 | 24.7 | .450 | .431 | .900 | 2.0 | 1.2 | .9 | .3 | 8.3 |
| 2023–24 | Orlando | 54 | 27 | 24.0 | .441 | .371 | .756 | 1.7 | 1.6 | .9 | .3 | 6.9 |
| Career | 570 | 443 | 28.0 | .447 | .370 | .813 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.1 | .2 | 11.0 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Denver | 14 | 14 | 37.0 | .462 | .351 | .868 | 4.1 | 2.3 | .9 | .6 | 14.2 |
| 2020 | Denver | 14 | 12 | 27.1 | .378 | .365 | .773 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.1 | .3 | 7.4 |
| 2024 | Orlando | 6 | 6 | 26.5 | .286 | .318 | 1.000 | 2.0 | .7 | 1.2 | .5 | 4.2 |
| Career | 34 | 32 | 31.0 | .417 | .351 | .839 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.0 | .4 | 9.6 | |
Awards and Honors
Gary Harris has received many awards throughout his career:
- 2012 Indiana Mr. Basketball
- 2012 Jordan Brand Classic game invitee
- 2012 Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year
- 2012 Indiana All-Star
- 2012 Indiana-Kentucky All-Star series MVP
- 2012 First-team Parade All-American
- 2011 Indiana Junior All-Star
- 2011 All-Hoosier Cross Roads Conference
- 2011 Indianapolis Star First Team honoree
- 2011 Hamilton County Player of the Year
- 2011 Hoosier Basketball Magazine All-State selection
Personal Life
Gary Harris's parents are Gary and Joy Harris. His mother, Joy, was also a fantastic basketball player. She played for Purdue University from 1987 to 1991. She is still ranked seventh in her school's history for points scored. Joy even played in the WNBA for the Detroit Shock in 2000.
See also
In Spanish: Gary Harris para niños
