Sam Harris (basketball) explained

Sam Harris
Height Cm:221
Weight Kg:123
Nationality:Australian
Birth Date:1984 5, df=yes
Birth Place:Launceston, Tasmania
High School:
College:Old Dominion (2004–2008)
Draft Year:2008
Career Start:2001
Career End:2013
Career Position:Centre
Years1:2001–2004
Team1:Australian Institute of Sport
Years2:2008
Team2:NW Tasmania Thunder
Years3:2008–2009
Team3:Singapore Slingers
Years4:2009
Team4:NW Tasmania Thunder
Years5:2009–2010
Team5:Perth Wildcats
Years6:2010
Team6:East Perth Eagles
Years7:2010–2011
Team7:Adelaide 36ers
Years8:2011
Team8:Bendigo Braves
Years9:2012
Team9:Hobart Chargers
Years10:2012–2013
Team10:NW Tasmania Thunder
Highlights:

Samuel James Harris[1] (born 3 May 1984) is an Australian former professional basketball player. He played 10 seasons in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) and spent two seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL). At 221 cm, he is the tallest player ever to play in the NBL.

Early life

Harris was born in Launceston, Tasmania, and grew up in the suburb of Newnham.[2] [3] He started playing basketball in the late 1990s and attended Launceston College.[4]

In 2001, Harris moved to Canberra to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and play for the program's SEABL team. With Lake Ginninderra College[5] at the 2001 National Schools Basketball Tournament in Ballarat, the 17-year-old Harris stood at 219 cm—4 cm taller than the previous student record. He continued on with the AIS in 2002, 2003 and 2004,[6] playing in the SEABL each year.[7]

College career

Between 2004 and 2008, Harris played college basketball for Old Dominion University in the United States. As a freshman, on 27 November 2004, he scored a career-high 14 points. In 126 games for the Monarchs over four seasons, he made 17 starts and averaged 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per game.[8]

Professional career

Harris returned to Tasmania in May 2008 and played out the SEABL season with the NW Tasmania Thunder.

In late April 2008, Harris signed with the Singapore Slingers for the 2008–09 NBL season.[9] [10] However, the team withdrew from the NBL in late July 2008 to pursue competitions closer to home.[11] Harris remained with the squad that was kept together, with the Slingers engaging in a series of touring matches during the 2008–09 season,[12] [13] most notably the Singapore Challenge Series that ended in January 2009.[14] [15] [16] In 11 games during the Challenge Series, Harris averaged 6.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.[17]

For the 2009 SEABL season, Harris returned to the NW Tasmania Thunder, where he averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds while finishing with 73 blocked shots.[18]

Following the conclusion of the 2009 SEABL season, Harris moved to Perth to train with the Perth Wildcats ahead of the 2009–10 NBL season.[19] He was elevated to the full squad in mid-October as an injury replacement for Paul Rogers,[20] and was later replaced in the line-up by American Galen Young in late December.[21] He remained a member of the Wildcats' shadow squad for the rest of the season, and in March 2010, he became an NBL champion when the Wildcats defeated the Wollongong Hawks in the grand final series.[22] He totalled six points and seven rebounds in six games for the Wildcats.[23]

Harris remained in Perth during the 2010 off-season and played for the East Perth Eagles in the SBL.[24] [25]

In June 2010, Harris began to dabble in the prospect of switching to Australian rules football, as he was recruited by West Perth Football Club with the plan being to debut in the WAFL with the Falcons in 2011.[26]

Ahead of the 2010–11 NBL season, Harris had been in contention for a full NBL contract with the Wildcats but missed out due to the club's need to satisfy a league rule to sign an under-24 player. As a result, in August 2010, he joined the training squad of the Adelaide 36ers.[27] He played two games for the 36ers in November 2010.[28] [29] [30]

Following the 2010–11 NBL season, Harris joined the Bendigo Braves for the 2011 SEABL season.[31] He went on to split the 2012 SEABL season with the Hobart Chargers and NW Tasmania Thunder.[32] [33] He returned to the Thunder in 2013 for one final season.[34]

National team career

Harris was a member of the Australian under 18 squad in 1999 and 2000, and a member of the Australian under 20 squad in 2001 and 2002. In 2003, he helped Australia win gold at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Greece. In 2005, he played for Australia at the FIBA Under-21 World Championship.

Personal

Harris' father is 196 cm and his mother is 177 cm.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sam Harris. fiba.com. 16 November 2019.
  2. Web site: Hope. Chloe. Thunder signs a giant Australia's tallest basketballer to play for NW. theadvocate.com.au. 21 April 2008. 16 November 2019. Harris, a Launceston boy....
  3. Web site: Shaw. Rob. Radford courts basketball talent. examiner.com.au. 28 April 2010. 16 November 2019. Perth Wildcat teammates Sam Harris, of Newnham....
  4. Web site: Shaw. Rob. Sam stands tall in game he loves. thecourier.com.au. 5 December 2001. 16 November 2019.
  5. Web site: Sam Harris. odusports.com. 16 November 2019.
  6. Web site: Past Athletes . ausport.gov.au . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140212073754/http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/sports/basketball/athletes/past_athletes . 12 February 2014.
  7. Web site: Player statistics for Sam Harris – SEABL 2001. SportsTG.com. 16 November 2019.
  8. Web site: Sam Harris. sports-reference.com. 16 November 2019.
  9. Web site: Howard....High On and Off The Court. jronfire.blogspot.com. 27 April 2008. 16 November 2019. Last but not least, the Singapore Slingers reveal that Sam Harris is their Australian big man signing..
  10. Web site: Slingers sign Castro. interbasket.net. 3 May 2008. 16 November 2019. ...along with the announcement last week about the recruitment of man-mountain Australian center Sam Harris....
  11. Web site: Singapore Slingers pull out of NBL. The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 July 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080816001422/http://news.smh.com.au/sport/singapore-slingers-pull-out-of-nbl-20080729-3mn4.html. 16 August 2008.
  12. Web site: Hope. Chloe. Thunder's big coup as Harris re-signs. theadvocate.com.au. 1 December 2008. 16 November 2019.
  13. Web site: Hope. Chloe. HPB: Basketball teams head for Hualien for Probation Cup. Taipei Times. 24 September 2008. 16 November 2019. ...while the Slingers will field 221cm 24-year-old Australian Sam Harris who signed with the Singapore side this season after a successful career at the Old Dominion University in the US..
  14. Web site: Singapore Slingers vs Darwin Allstars. singaporeslingers.com. 16 December 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090914192455/http://www.singaporeslingers.com/beta/wp-content/gallery/darwin/stats-darwin.jpg. 14 September 2009.
  15. Web site: Slingers end Challenge Series on a High. singaporeslingers.com. 18 January 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090224110033/http://www.singaporeslingers.com/index.php/2009/01/18/slingers-end-challenge-series-on-a-high/. 24 February 2009.
  16. Web site: Players. singaporeslingers.com. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090219232732/http://www.singaporeslingers.com/index.php/players/. 19 February 2009.
  17. Web site: Stats. singaporeslingers.com. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090220112316/http://www.singaporeslingers.com/index.php/stats/. 20 February 2009.
  18. Web site: Paolucci. Tanya. Big Sam eyes title. bendigoadvertiser.com.au. 20 January 2011. 16 November 2019.
  19. Web site: Perth Wildcats elevate Harris as replacement for injured veteran. news.com.au. 16 October 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160410062322/http://www.news.com.au/national/perth-wildcats-elevate-harris-as-replacement-for-injured-veteran/story-e6frfkp9-1225787614152. 10 April 2016.
  20. Web site: Hope. Shayne. Wildcats maul Adelaide in The Jungle. TheWest.com.au. 17 October 2009. 16 November 2019. Sam Harris was forced to wait until the dying stages of the first half to make his first appearance on court for the Wildcats after signing on as a replacement for injury-listed veteran Paul Rogers..
  21. Web site: Hope. Shayne. Cattalini happy to take it easy. TheWest.com.au. 16 December 2009. 16 November 2019. Young travelled with the team on last week's road trip and is certain to command more court time than the man he replaced, giant centre Sam Harris, who remains a member of the Wildcats' shadow squad..
  22. Web site: Perth Wildcats claim fifth NBL crown with 96–72 defeat of Wollongong Hawks. FoxSports.com.au. 12 March 2010. dead. https://archive.today/20141119001346/http://www.foxsports.com.au/more-sports/basketball/perth-wildcats-claim-fifth-nbl-crown-with-96-72-defeat-of-wollongong-hawks/story-e6frf3f3-1225918760956?nk=2d0f2673fa4534ab82ba00c8d1cd4509. 19 November 2014.
  23. Web site: Player statistics for Sam Harris – 2009/10. SportsTG.com. 16 November 2019.
  24. Web site: Harris signing provides massive options. SportsTG.com. 7 January 2010. 16 November 2019.
  25. Web site: Hope. Shayne. Rogers on the rebound. TheWest.com.au. 19 February 2010. 16 November 2019.
  26. Web site: Hope. Shayne. Ex-Wildcat takes next step with Falcons. TheWest.com.au. 23 July 2010. 16 November 2019.
  27. Web site: Adelaide 36ers Welcome Tallest Recruit. glamadelaide.com.au. 16 August 2010. 16 November 2019.
  28. Web site: Huge Harris to debut for 36ers. ABC News. 4 November 2010. 16 November 2019.
  29. Web site: Sam Harris v. New Zealand, NBL 2010–2011. YouTube. 11 December 2010. 9 June 2015.
  30. Web site: Player statistics for Sam Harris – 2010/11. SportsTG.com. 16 November 2019.
  31. Web site: Paolucci. Tanya. BRAVES BIG NEW SIGNING. BendigoAdvertiser.com.au. 7 December 2010. 9 June 2015.
  32. Web site: SEABL: HOBART CHARGERS RELEASE SAM HARRIS. SEABL.com.au. 2 April 2012. dead. https://archive.today/20130627215332/http://www.seabl.com.au/index.php?id=257&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=4033&cHash=f370e7aba0. 27 June 2013.
  33. Web site: Agatyn. Martin. Thunder lands a giant. theadvocate.com.au. 11 April 2012. 16 November 2019.
  34. Web site: SEABL: SAM HARRIS RETURNS FOR THE THUNDER IN 2013. 21 November 2012. SEABL.com.au. dead. https://archive.today/20130627221756/http://www.seabl.com.au/index.php?id=257&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=6255&cHash=797e16c3ef. 27 June 2013.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sam Harris (basketball)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.