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PHILADELPHIA — After spending over five years with the Philadelphia 76ers, Tobias Harris is back in town as a member of the Detroit Pistons. His experience with the Sixers came up short of the championship goal. Failing to even crack the conference finals, Harris said, was the biggest disappointment of his time suiting up for title-hopeful teams in Philly.
Nonetheless, Harris explained that he wouldn’t change how it all went down.
“For me, it was a great experience,” the veteran forward said ahead of the 76ers' matchup with the Pistons. “I truthfully say that because it helped me grow in so many different elements of my life. All the years here — the ups and downs, the experience of playoff basketball, winning seasons — [were] overall extremely important to me…The experience and lessons along the way are ones that I would never change for anything — and it was not easy, as well.”
Harris' tenure with the Sixers was best summarized by Nick Nurse, who called it “rocky.” The 76ers head coach said after his team's practice on Tuesday that “the weight of what was ever going on about his contract and his play and did it match up and all that kind of stuff wasn't much fun to be a part of.”
The Sixers backed themselves into a corner by trading for Harris in a contract year all the way back in 2019. After watching Jimmy Butler go to the Miami Heat, the Sixers offered Harris the most lucrative contract in franchise history at that time: $180 million over five years. It was roughly $10 million shy of a maximum contract but effectively became known as such throughout Harris' Sixers tenure.
Harris' shortcomings as a player — namely a tendency to slow the offensive pace down and a reluctance to shoot a high volume of threes — limited the Sixers, especially because he remained a starter his entire Philly stint. Even last season, he wasn’t benched despite some brutal struggles. It earned him no sympathy from fans, some of whom have celebrated Harris' departure to Detroit more than Paul George's arrival to the 76ers.
What Harris did provide the 76ers, though, was efficient scoring and a defensive option for the best opposing forward. He was injury-averse and always willing to help younger teammates find their footing. Guys like Tyrese Maxey, Ricky Council IV and Matisse Thybulle benefited from having an experienced, level-headed veteran in their corner.
“I mean, those are the ones that I'll never forget,” Harris said. “Just to see their growth and development, to see Tyrese having the success that he's had and all the guys that I've been able to just be able to give some type of influence to or some type of experience and knowledge to has been important to me. Seeing their success, that's what a vet is for. I never took that job lightly, of being an influence for the next upcoming players in this league. I'm always happy to see that type of success.”
Tobias Harris returns to Philadelphia after leaving 76ers for Pistons
As much as 76ers fans are happy Harris left and harbor memories of mostly inconsistent play throughout his time with the team, those who spent time with him in the organization have always spoken about him glowingly.
Nurse, after describing Harris' time with the Sixers, said that he's a “good guy who was a great pro and tried really hard and worked really hard and produced a lot. I really like him. I like him as a person. I like him as a player.”
Kelly Oubre Jr., who was only teammates with Harris last season, remembers him being “very business-casual — how he dressed, how he operates himself. Very professional. Very suave. Tobias is a great dude, man, but on that court, it's gonna be a different story. We gotta go out here and win for the 76ers.”
Maxey said previously that he and Harris still talk and that the veteran has helped the young star establish himself not just as an NBA player but as a leader, someone who can look after the younger guys just as Harris did for him. Council said that Harris was a great veteran for him during his rookie season.
Ricky Council IV shouts out Tobias Harris as a veteran who really helped him out. Said Harris is “a really good person” that gets too much hate.
“He was real big for me.”
— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) May 3, 2024
For Harris, his fondest memories in Philly involve the people he got to spend his days alongside and the community events he supported.
“I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of great people,” Harris said. “There's been great people here [who] have been amazing to myself, my family, all the way down the line to people up in the suites and booths that have treated my mom, wife, dad, family with the utmost respect. It's been a lot of people that have always treated me extremely well every time I step foot in the building and that I'm extremely grateful for.”
Tobias Harris said that his energy for tonight's game is about helping the Pistons get their first win of the season. The Sixers can’t yet show that their decision to pursue George over re-signing him has paid off since the new star is dealing with a knee injury. In due time, Philly hopes to achieve what it never could with Harris and pick up its second win of the 2024-25 season.
