Chris Harris (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Christopher R. Harris is a retired sports broadcaster and professional basketball
player. A 6'3" guard, he was the first player from England to compete in the American National Basketball Association
(NBA
).
Harris moved from Southampton to New York City
when he was young. For generations, cross-Atlantic shipping was the family trade, on both his mother's and father's side. Two of his uncles were White Star Line
crew members who went down on the Titanic. The game of basketball was a mystery to his relatives. In a 2004 interview, Harris said, "My folks didn't even know what basketball was. I remember as a kid, I had a little basket in my back yard on dirt, but they kept telling me to play soccer. I replied, 'Nope, I'm going to play basketball in the pros.' They were laughing at me but after a while they knew it was going to be basketball for me."
When Harris was 18, he received a basketball scholarship to the University of Dayton
, where he became a teammate of Jim Paxson, Sr.
, father of future NBA players Jim
and John
. On March 1, 1953, Harris played every minute in Dayton's 71-65 victory over number-one ranked Seton Hall University
, scoring the game's final point on a free throw
. The loss was the first for Seton Hall in 28 games. The 1953-54 Flyers advanced to the National Invitation Tournament
Quarterfinals, at that time the national championship of college basketball. During his senior year, Dayton reached the NIT Finals, but lost to Duquesne University
70-58.
After graduating from college, Harris spent one season in the NBA. He originally signed with the St. Louis Hawks
, but after 15 games they traded him and Dick Ricketts
to the Rochester Royals
for Jack Coleman
and Jack McMahon
. In 41 total games with the Hawks and Royals, Harris averaged 2.5 points per game
on 24.8% shooting and made $4,800. He decided to end his NBA career after that season, since his wife was pregnant and he was planning a new business.
The NBA had broken the color barrier in 1950, but deep racial divisions still existed by the time Harris entered the league. On road trips, Harris recounts, the black players were often handed their own distinct itinerary, a team divided upon arrival. “They couldn’t eat in the same restaurants. They couldn’t drink out of the same water fountains. It was terrible. Very sad.” Harris, whose father was one-half African-Barbadan, developed a close friendship with Chuck Cooper of the Boston Celtics
, the first black player drafted by the NBA. “He was a huge jazz buff and I loved jazz music,” says Harris. “I was a huge fan. So any time we’d got to the big towns, he’d go look for the jazz club and take me with him. We had a wonderful time. He was a gentleman.”
Harris had a chance to return to the NBA the following summer, after joining a group of Dayton alumni in an informal game against the Hawks. Harris played well enough that Hawks coach Alex Hannum
asked him to be his fourth guard, but Harris declined. The Hawks would go on to win the NBA Championship that year. Harris left the game to become a successful businessman, operating a chain of television and appliance stores and an advertising agency in the Dayton area, and later a vice president for an insurance company. Harris also became one of the region's best-known broadcasters, providing color commentary and play-by-play for WHIO
Radio (CBS
) of University of Dayton basketball games from 1965 to 1981, including ones that would feature his Flyer sons, Doug (1975-1979) and Ted (1981-1985). Harris and his wife, Barbara -- 1953 winner of the Arthur Godfrey
Talent Scouts -- have been married over a half-century and had 10 children
.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. A 6'3" guard, he was the first player from England to compete in the American National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
).
Harris moved from Southampton to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
when he was young. For generations, cross-Atlantic shipping was the family trade, on both his mother's and father's side. Two of his uncles were White Star Line
White Star Line
The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company or White Star Line of Boston Packets, more commonly known as the White Star Line, was a prominent British shipping company, today most famous for its ill-fated vessel, the RMS Titanic, and the World War I loss of Titanics sister ship Britannic...
crew members who went down on the Titanic. The game of basketball was a mystery to his relatives. In a 2004 interview, Harris said, "My folks didn't even know what basketball was. I remember as a kid, I had a little basket in my back yard on dirt, but they kept telling me to play soccer. I replied, 'Nope, I'm going to play basketball in the pros.' They were laughing at me but after a while they knew it was going to be basketball for me."
When Harris was 18, he received a basketball scholarship to the University of Dayton
University of Dayton
The University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio...
, where he became a teammate of Jim Paxson, Sr.
Jim Paxson, Sr.
James Edward Paxson is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'6" guard/forward, Paxson attended the University of Dayton during the mid-1950s, averaging 10.9 points per game in his collegiate career. He helped the Flyers attain two consecutive second place finishes in the National...
, father of future NBA players Jim
Jim Paxson
James Joseph "Jim" Paxson is an American retired professional basketball player. A first round selection of the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1979 NBA Draft, Paxson played for the Portland and the Boston Celtics of the NBA from 1979-1990 and was twice an All-Star...
and John
John Paxson
John MacBeth Paxson is a retired American basketball player. He is currently the VP of Basketball Operations of the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls.-High school career:...
. On March 1, 1953, Harris played every minute in Dayton's 71-65 victory over number-one ranked Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
, scoring the game's final point on a free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
. The loss was the first for Seton Hall in 28 games. The 1953-54 Flyers advanced to the National Invitation Tournament
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
Quarterfinals, at that time the national championship of college basketball. During his senior year, Dayton reached the NIT Finals, but lost to Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
70-58.
After graduating from college, Harris spent one season in the NBA. He originally signed with the St. Louis Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
, but after 15 games they traded him and Dick Ricketts
Dick Ricketts
Richard James Ricketts, Jr. was an American professional basketball player.A 6'7" forward from Duquesne University, Ricketts was selected by the St. Louis Hawks with the first pick of the 1955 NBA Draft...
to the Rochester Royals
Rochester Royals
The franchise that would become the Sacramento Kings initially started in the city of Rochester, New York, as the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League....
for Jack Coleman
Jack Coleman (basketball)
Jack L. Coleman was an American professional basketball player.A 6 ft 7 in forward/center from the University of Louisville, Coleman played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Rochester Royals and St. Louis Hawks...
and Jack McMahon
Jack McMahon
John Joseph McMahon was a professional basketball player and coach. A 6'1" guard from St. John's University, McMahon was selected by the Rochester Royals in the 1952 NBA Draft. He played 8 seasons in the NBA, for Rochester and the St...
. In 41 total games with the Hawks and Royals, Harris averaged 2.5 points per game
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
on 24.8% shooting and made $4,800. He decided to end his NBA career after that season, since his wife was pregnant and he was planning a new business.
The NBA had broken the color barrier in 1950, but deep racial divisions still existed by the time Harris entered the league. On road trips, Harris recounts, the black players were often handed their own distinct itinerary, a team divided upon arrival. “They couldn’t eat in the same restaurants. They couldn’t drink out of the same water fountains. It was terrible. Very sad.” Harris, whose father was one-half African-Barbadan, developed a close friendship with Chuck Cooper of the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, the first black player drafted by the NBA. “He was a huge jazz buff and I loved jazz music,” says Harris. “I was a huge fan. So any time we’d got to the big towns, he’d go look for the jazz club and take me with him. We had a wonderful time. He was a gentleman.”
Harris had a chance to return to the NBA the following summer, after joining a group of Dayton alumni in an informal game against the Hawks. Harris played well enough that Hawks coach Alex Hannum
Alex Hannum
Alexander Murray Hannum was a professional basketball player and Hall-of-Fame coach.-Coaching career:Hannum is mostly known for coaching the Wilt Chamberlain-led Philadelphia 76ers of 1966-67 to the NBA championship, ending the eight-year title streak of the Boston Celtics. He had also coached the...
asked him to be his fourth guard, but Harris declined. The Hawks would go on to win the NBA Championship that year. Harris left the game to become a successful businessman, operating a chain of television and appliance stores and an advertising agency in the Dayton area, and later a vice president for an insurance company. Harris also became one of the region's best-known broadcasters, providing color commentary and play-by-play for WHIO
WHIO (AM)
WHIO is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Dayton, Ohio, USA, the station serves the Cincinnati and Dayton area...
Radio (CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
) of University of Dayton basketball games from 1965 to 1981, including ones that would feature his Flyer sons, Doug (1975-1979) and Ted (1981-1985). Harris and his wife, Barbara -- 1953 winner of the Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Morton Godfrey was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname, The Old Redhead...
Talent Scouts -- have been married over a half-century and had 10 children
Michael Harris (producer)
Michael Harris Michael Harris is a Seattle-based television producer and filmmaker for several network programs, most notably as a regular Contributing Producer for networks such as ABC News, NBC News, VH1 and MTV...
.