Update: Harris is heading to Turkey after recently signing a deal with Turk Telekom.
Thanks for having me, good luck to you guys the rest of the way! #Salute https://t.co/TSkSrluOiQ
— Manny Harris (@313MannyHarris) January 22, 2016
The Texas Legends, never afraid to test the trade waters to improve their team, hauled in a nice catch last December, when they traded Damion James to the LA D-Fenders for guard Manny Harris.
Harris, a 6’ 5” guard that hails from Detroit, is making a big splash during his first year with the Legends. Averaging 17 ppg with 5.5 boards per contest, Harris has been an integral part of the young Legends’ excellent start.
Harris averaged 33.5 ppg with 11.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists during his tenure at Redford High School which earned him an elite four-star recruiting status by Rivals.com. After receiving scholarship offers from six top-flight college basketball programs, Harris ultimately signed with the University of Michigan.
During his freshmen year at Michigan, Harris was an All-Big Ten Conference selection as he led the Wolverines in points per game (16.4), steals (2.8) and free throw percentage (82%).
Harris proved during his frosh season that he had all of the tools to become elite; and over his sophomore and junior seasons, he not only improved his game, but he also fashioned himself into a projected second round pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.
All told, Harris averaged 17 ppg with 5.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists over his three seasons in Ann Arbor. Unfortunately, an ankle injury limited his mobility and caused his draft status to drop dramatically, as he would go undrafted.
Despite his 2010 draft snubbing, Harris was determined to make it as a professional, and battled his way onto the Cleveland Cavaliers’ non-guaranteed free agent roster during the summer of 2010.
He’d bide most of his time during the 2011-12 season playing for the Cavaliers’ D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, before moving on to the Ukrainian League, where he played for Azovmash during the 2012-13 season.
Since then, Harris has played two stints in Turkey (2014 for Turk Telekom, 2015 for NSK Eskisehir Basket), with a stint for the Los Angeles Lakers (2014) and for the D-Fenders sprinkled in for good measure.
While with the D-Fenders of the D-League, Harris set a franchise record for points in a game with 56, which surpassed his own previous record of 49.
With a deft jump-shot and a quick first-step that enables him to drive to the hoop uncontested, don’t be surprised if Harris puts up 40+ in the near future; only this time, it will be while running the hardwood for your Texas Legends.
Upcoming Texas Legends Games
The Texas Legends (13-10) embark on a three-game road trip against Western Conference foes starting this Tuesday, January 26. First, they’ll take on the seventh-placed Bakersfield Jam (10-17) with their eyes set on avenging last Thursday’s loss. Next up, it’s a quick trip south to El Segundo for a one-night stand with the LA D-Fenders (13-13) a tough team on the heels of the third-placed Legends. Then it’s a return to the Lone Star State against their chief rivals, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (13-12) at State Farm Arena.
As always, you can check out these premier D-League contests from the comfort of your own couch, via the Legends’ official YouTube Channel.
