Inside The Nets

Nets' Harry Giles III's sentimental return to Sacramento

Harry Giles III returned to his initial NBA city in Sacramento as an opponent with the Nets.

Marin Gabric

© Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

After spending three years with the Sacramento Kings, Harry Giles was not given a contract extension which led him to spend a year with the Portland Trail Blazers and then a year in the G-League. 

Now, he is with the Nets, who just played against the Kings in their most recent game.

This marked an emotional return for Giles as he fully embraced the city of Sacramento. This was a heartwarming day for him since he was so used to being in the Golden 1 Center as part of the Kings or even just as a fan cheering on Sacramento.

“It just felt weird when I walk on this side because I’ve been walking on the other side for so long. I’m excited for the raw emotion,” Giles said before the game.

Giles still has love for Sacramento

Over the course of three years in Sacramento, it's clear that Giles formed a genuine connection with the city and the organization. Despite being initially drafted by the Blazers, his prompt trade to the Kings demonstrated their unmistakable eagerness to have him on board.

That resonated with Harry because since then, he continued to show love to Sacramento for believing in him despite his rocky college career.

During his time with the Kings, Giles struggled with injuries, but the team remained loyal to him. 

Despite their three-season journey's end, Giles holds no grudges against the Kings. He even attended one of their 2023 NBA Playoff games to show his support.

The organization and fans love Giles

The feeling is mutual between Giles and the organization because he is appreciated by the Kings. His former teammates all went up to him after the Nets vs Kings game to show him appreciation.

After the game, Giles posted on X (formerly Twitter) to talk about what he felt in his return to the city.

“Sacramento!! The Love is Unconditional forever! Thanks for always welcoming me home!! I’m so thankful for you guys. I can never put it into words. Didn’t want tonight to end, always bleeding purple,” Giles said on X.

Thriving with the Nets, Giles is making a strong impact as a key player off the bench. Although he's behind Day’Ron Sharpe, coach Jacque Vaughn, and the Nets organization truly value what Giles brings to the team.

The Nets' four-game winning streak gets snapped by the Sacramento Kings

Published
Marin Gabric
MARIN GABRIC

Marin's love for writing developed in high school but was furthered in college when he took a number of creative writing courses. Doing sports writing felt like an extremely natural continuation, as it furthered his passions in both writing and basketball.  Marin loves the feeling of looking at stats after a game and analyzing what each team could've done better or what they excel in compared to the rest of the league. And the ability to do so for his favorite team, the Brooklyn Nets, is quite special in itself. 

Home/News