The now-NBA analyst and Mavs legend surprised campers with an appearance during the first week of summer camp. Harris had a commanding presence and answered the kids in rapid succession.Harris, a father of three young girls, laughed and grinned, handling the question like a pro. He understands the passion and enthusiasm for Dončić is a by-product of having a young phenom play for the hometown team.
“I do know Luka,” Harris replied as the children gazed on with excitement. He didn’t mention that they played together and are friends, but his answer satisfied the kids for now.
On this day, the children were thrilled to meet someone like Harris who played at the highest level for nearly two decades.
And, as the former Mav explained, attending camp is good for his soul, too.
“I’ve been doing (camps) since I was a rookie with the Mavs,” Harris said. “I have a special kind of connection with Mavs camps. This was a big part of my summer for a long time.
“I took a little hiatus when I retired, but it’s always good to come back and give knowledge to the kids. It’s important to show the kids some love and support, and that’s really important to me.”
This week, the Mavs Academy jump-started the summer season with hoop camps at Keller Central High and the University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson. Usually the franchise has a few weeks to prepare after the season, but the Mavs’ deep playoff run allowed no time for rest.
Mavs Hoop Camp will run until the first week of August with a total of 20 Mavs Hoop Camps, plus three all-girls GEM camps and five development camps.
Needless to say, basketball is in full swing across the region and everyone wants in on the fun. Case in point? The UTD camp alone had 177 participants this week.
Having a successful team like the Mavs this season sparked newfound love and passion for many young kids across the area. The energy and everyone basked in the pageantry of the game.
Student-athletes of all ages are learning key fundamentals, sportsmanship, and excitement of the game in a fun atmosphere with top-notch coaches.
At UTD, the youngsters had a few pressing questions for Harris, like: “Can you still dunk?”
“When I was younger I did,” Harris laughed. “But these days, I’m more of a jump shooter.”
The former NBA All-Star and beloved member of the Mavericks (three times over) dropped a few other nuggets as he met with campers. Harris said Dirk Nowitzki was his favorite teammate, Penny Hardaway was his childhood idol, and Golden State is a team (other than the Mavs) that he admires and likes to watch.
The Wisconsin native arrived at Mavs Hoop Camp fresh from a vacation, but he said it’s always great to give back to the game.
One thing that makes the Mavs Academy unique is the organization aims to reach children in various pockets all across the region.
Many times camps will just choose one location and stay there for the entire summer. However, the Mavs Academy sets up camps all over North Texas.
Current players and legends, like Harris, trust the Mavs Academy coaches so much, they send their own children to various camps all summer long. It really is a family affair.
Harris said he’s made peace with his 15 years in the NBA and now he approaches the game as a father and commentator because the game continues to evolve.
“It’s interesting because you were always taught to play as many sports as you can when I was growing up,” he said. “But now, with the seriousness of sports at such a young age, you have to choose a lot sooner. But my advice is to stick to what you love. Be passionate about it.”
And speaking of passion, Harris continues to excel behind the mic as an NBA analyst on Bally Sports Southwest.
Over the years, many sports stars attempt to analyze the game and work in television, but few actually make the cut and survive. Harris is among them. Live TV is all about looking natural in a very unnatural environment, and Harris has transitioned well from the court to the desk. He’s having a blast.
“It’s a lot harder than people think,” he said. “The basketball knowledge comes easily from being around the game for many years, but the technical side is different.
“Everything from the terminology to what camera to look at and how many seconds you can talk redefines how you speak and talk about the game. It’s a bit of a difference, but I enjoy the challenge.”
The Mavericks still have two successful Badgers around the game. Michael Finley is the franchise’s assistant general manager and vice president of basketball operations. Back in February, Harris joined Finley for his UW Hall-of-Fame ceremony and the two even worked out with the men’s basketball team during that trip.
Harris explained how the broadcasting opportunity happened.
“I was sitting at home during the COVID pandemic, and not really doing much, when this opportunity kind of presented itself,” Harris said. “I was enjoying the retired life and taking care of the kids. This was an interesting opportunity and something I never thought I’d see myself doing.
“Now, I’m kind of learning about it and just trying to go all in – soak it all in – and do everything I can to try and learn the business and become great at it. He (Finley) has been very supportive in that aspect.”
Before we left, I asked the former NBA guard what made Mavs head coach Jason Kidd so successful this season. He said it was pretty simple. Kidd made the game fun again, and the players responded well and respected his approach.
“He’s very relatable,” Harris said. “Previous players make the best coaches because they’ve been there. They’ve been in situations where the team is trying to advance. He’s won a championship. He understands the game. I think the positivity Kidd places around the guys is important. He cheers them on even when they do fail. He’s put that confidence in them, making a world of difference.”
Now the Dallas Mavs will shift the organization’s focus to the future generation with Mavs Hoop Camps. Perhaps a future star is among them.
The Mavs Academy will host a variety of summer camps during the next three months for kids with all interests, including Hoop Camp, Dance Camp, Development Camp, Gaming Camp, and All-Girls GEM Hoop Camp.
Next week the Mavs will be at International Leadership of Texas in Mansfield/Arlington and Liberty Christian in Argyle.
The GEM camp (all-girls) will take place at The Sportsplex in Dallas. There are still spots available for all three.
For a full list of events and to register your child or teen, click here.
Story: Tamara Jolee | Photography: Monica Borja
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