My Two Cents: Magic Guard Gary Harris Finds it Hard to Believe He's Starting His 11th NBA Season

As a kid growing up in Indiana, Gary Harris hoped to play in the NBA someday. He has, and now he's getting ready to start his 11th pro season with the upstart Orlando Magic. The former Michigan State star still has a lot to offer.

Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris (14) talks with center Wendell Carter Jr. during a game in Houston last April. / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

ORLANDO — Like a lot of kids growing up in Indiana, Gary Harris dreamed of playing in the NBA some day. His hoop dreams, most of them anyway, have come true.

Harris, a high school standout at Hamilton Southeastern just north of Indianapolis and a two-year star for Tom Izzo at Michigan State, did the rounds at the Orlando Magic's media day on Monday. After re-signing with the team in the offseason, he's ready to embark on his 11th NBA season.

His 11th season — and that's really hard for him to believe.

"Yeah, when you hear that, or say that, it really is hard to believe,'' said Harris, the 6-foot-4 guard who turned 30 years old on Sept. 14. "Eleven years is a long time. When you're a kid, you just hope you can make it to the league some day. It's a dream. The goal is to get here. And when you get here, you just want to stay as long as you can. And as the years go by, you just want to keep playing.

"That's where I am now. It feels great, and it's just a blessing. I've really enjoyed my time here in Orlando and it's been fun to be a part of this rebuild. Last year was really fun, and I want to be a part of taking it to the next level this year. I know I can still help this team win, and I plan on doing that.''

Harris came to Orlando in a trade with Denver in March of 2021. He's played three-plus seasons here, He played in 54 games last year, starting 27, but he averaged just 6.9 points per game, his lowest total since his rookie year in Denver.

He also struggled in the playoffs, where the Magic lost in seven games to the Cleveland Cavaliers. They won all three home games, but lost all four in Cleveland. Harris was just 7-for-23 shooting in the four losses — 30.4 percent — and was held scoreless in two of the four defeats.

Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris meets with the media on Monday. He's starting his 11th NBA season. / Tom Brew/Orlando Magic on SI

Harris, who made more than $110 million in his first 10 years in the NBA, took a pay cut in the offseason to stay with the Magic, signing a two-year deal worth $7.5 million a season. He's part of a crowded backcourt that features splashy free agent signee Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony and youngsters Anthony Black and Jett Howard.

The battle for minutes during training camp and the preseason will be intense, and there are no guarantees for Harris, or anyone else. Magic coach Jamahl Mosley can't wait to watch it all play out.

"I'm very excited about it,'' Mosley said. "There's a lot of talent there, and I'm looking forward to watching them get after it.''

So is Harris.

"The goal remains the same, to win a championship,'' Harris said. "And it's a blessing to still be on this journey. It's amazing to bring back the excitement and joy that we have in this building, and the expectations, that's what it's all about. We're still trying to get better.

"We have a team that's going to keep pushing each other every day, and hold each other accountable. We feel like we can be one of the last teams standing. It's going to all of every day to work hard and compete, and be the best we can be.''

Harris — the 2012 Indiana Mr. Basketball — spends a lot of his summer back in Indiana around his parents, Gary and Joy, and family means a lot to him. Basketball does too, and he's been around it since birth. His mom, was a professional basketball player herself, and was part of the original WNBA, playing for Detroit Shock. Gary hung around her while she played, and swears ''I get my defense from her.''

"It's been a great summer. Any time you can be around your loved ones, it's a blessing,'' Harris said. "I go back home to Indiana in the summer, and I see a lot of my parents. It's all great. and now it's time to get back to work.''

There are many great battles ahead, with several Eastern Conference teams reloading in the offseason. Philadelphia (Paul George) and New York (Karl-Anthony Towns) are better, Boston is the world champion and teams like Indiana, Milwaukee, Cleveland and Miami intend to contend as well.

So do the Magic. Harris has no doubt about that, especially with Caldwell-Pope aboard.

"The sky is the limit with this team. I think we can be better than we were last year, but it's not going to be easy,'' Harris said. ''If he hold down homecourt like I think we can, we can make some fun things happen in the KIA Center. We didn't lose a game at home in the playoffs, and we know what we can do here.

"It's great having (Caldwell-Pope) here. He's won championships at two different places (Lakers, Nuggets), and that championship pedigree means a lot. It's that identity he has, that he wins, and now he's coming here and he plans on doing the same thing. I've been playing against him for 10 years now, so it's great to finally have him on my side. I've always been a fan of his game and the work he puts in. I'm looking forward to having him here. He's a great defensive player and that's what we do here. We can guard people and he's going to fit right in.''

Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris does an interview at media day on Monday. / Tom Brew/Orlando Magic on SI

Harris could have gone elsewhere in the offseason, but he loves it in Orlando. He also knows he's on a team on the rise and he wants to see how this all plays out.

"I love it here, and the vibe we have here,'' he said. ""We've gotten better and it's very important to see it through, and see how far we can go. I can remember when the arena was half empty, and then what it was like in the playoffs. It was great to experience that here in Orlando. It started before the playoffs. The energy, it was crazy. We feel like our window is here right now, and we need to take advantage of it.

"We're another year wiser. We knew we could be good last year, and we always had that confidence. It's our standard. We come to work every day, and we have fun together. No one likes losing a Game 7, especially when we had a lead, but we're working toward one goal, and we plan on taking advantage of this.''

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