SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – On Tuesday, Del Harris had his second back surgery.
Four days later, he officially entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The 85 year old was moving slowly, understandably. “I’m still on (pain) meds,” he had said leading up to the ceremony.
But with his wife, Ann, at his arm and a group of family and friends who were there to lean on, Harris took the podium on Saturday night and thanked the people who helped get him here after a basketball life that touched eight decades.
As Nancy Lieberman, one of Harris’ presenters, said: “Del just wants to make people better.”
And that’s what he did. Whether it was seventh-graders in the late ‘50s and ‘60s, college kids, ABA or NBA players, or even offering tips on the golf course, Harris was a mentor.
That is, more than just a coach.
He was an innovator and a primary contributor to the game of basketball on a global scale. He has coached five different national teams in various world games and Olympics.
That’s why being in the Naismith hall of fame is special to Harris. He quoted the inventor of the game in his speech.
Harris said he read that Naismith invented basketball to sharpen the body, mind and spirit.
“It fit right in with him as a pastor,” said Harris, who could relate as an ordained minister.
Harris paid homage to the 15 hall of famers he coached with. He believes firmly that coaching is a two-way street, which is why he always says that he coached with somebody, not just coached somebody.
And he made sure to thank the other coaches and executives who impacted his life,
Including Sonny Smith, who coached Charles Barkley at Auburn, and also was a teammate of Harris’ at tiny Milligan College, which was well represented Saturday night at Symphony Hall for the enshrinement ceremony.
And he dropped some historical knowledge, such as when he signed his first contract to be an NBA head coach in Houston: “It was one year, for the amazing sum of $70,000.”
If things had gone poorly, it might have been his last NBA coaching contract. But he had the Rockets in the NBA finals two years later and his career as a coach was launched to new levels.
The Hall of Fame ceremony is a gathering of greats. Among the legends on hand were David Robinson, Gregg Popovich, Barkley, Reggie Miller, Jerry West, Lieberman, Lisa Leslie and the list goes on and on.
Now Harris is in the hall with them. It took 10 tries when he was nominated but didn’t get the final call. But here he is.
Dirk makes an appearance: Though it was only a short video clip, Dirk Nowitzki was part of the 2022 induction when the star of the night, Manu Ginobili, was introduced.
Through all those years of battles with the Spurs, Nowitzki always appreciated Ginobili.
“He always made big plays — at both ends of the court,” he said, getting the pro-Ginobili and perhaps anti-Maverick crowd cheering.
Ginobili was presented by former teammate Tim Duncan and it was a very emotional night for him.
But while he was proud of the championships he won with the Spurs, it was the gold medal he led Argentina to in the Olympics that he said also helped propel him to the hall.
Hardaways are ecstatic: Tim Hardaway, one of the pioneers of the killer crossover dribble, officially entered the hall, and he had a special member in his entourage, son Tim Hardaway Jr., who could not have been happier for his dad.
Hardaway had the devastating crossover move that started as the UTEP Two-Step and evolved into a deadly weapon in the NBA.
And rest assured his son knows how special that is.
“It means everything,” Tim Hardaway Jr. said after walking the red carpet at the hall ceremony. “I’m just happy that I’m able to carry the torch in the game he taught me and he loved. We’re here to celebrate him. Words can’t express. He brought his signature move to the game that a lot of guys emulate. It’s something you can’t really explain.”
And his message to pops?
“Dad, we’re happy, not only that you’re going into the Hall of Fame, but you’ve been saying since Day One you’re taking the southside of Chicago, you’re taking our family, you’re taking El Paso and your taking Warriors and Heat nation, they’re all going in the Hall of Fame with you. You were patient and now you’re here.”
By the way, Hardaway was looking fit and said he’s feeling very well after recovering from foot surgery that cut short last season.
“I’m good,” he said, “I’m good.”
Meanwhile, his dad gave a nod to Don Nelson, who coached him in Golden State’s Run TMC days and for one season with the Mavericks.
Said Hardaway: “He lied to every team (when he entered the NBA draft) and said my knees were shot so I would fall to 14 and the Warriors could get me.”
Twitter: @Esefko
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