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Harris Has High School Number Retired

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

By John Denton

Jan. 23, 2015

NEW YORK – Reminiscing about his rise through prep basketball, his one standout season in college and his ascension to being an elite scorer at the NBA level, Tobias Harris grew misty eyed as his high school retired his number on Thursday night.

Then, as Harris started thinking about the reasons that he picked No. 12, he totally lost it and let his emotions gush out.

Thinking he was attending a ceremony to honor the 2007-08 team that won a county title, Harris was surprised when Half Hollow Hills West High School in Dix, N.Y., brought him out to announce the retirement of his No. 12 jersey.

Late in high school, Harris switched to the No. 12 to honor former teammate Morgan Childs, who died at 16 from a rare blood disease. Harris wore the number at the University of Tennessee, but had to switch during his first two seasons in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks because Mike Dunleavy already had the number. But upon arriving in Orlando via trade in February of 2013, Harris requested No. 12 – even though former Magic superstar Dwight Howard had worn the number the previous eight years.

Knowing that his number – and the number belonging to Childs – would be hanging in the rafters at his high school for eternity brought tears to Harris’ eyes during Thursday’s surprise ceremony.

``It was definitely an honor to get my number retired, but it was really emotional for me because – I didn’t tell too many people about it – but that’s my best friend’s number,’’ said Harris, whose Magic played the Knicks in New York on Friday night. ``Seeing that number up there kind of broke me down. And having my family there, and how far I’ve come as a basketball player … it was a memorable moment for me.’’

Harris said that it’s neat to think that some day he will take his family back to the Half Hollow High gymnasium and tell them the stories of his playing days and how he wore No. 12 in memory of his dear friend.

``Hopefully, I can keep growing as a player and have my number retired at Tennessee and in the NBA one day,’’ Harris said. ``Those are all goals that I’ll continue to work for and strive for.’’

LOCAL BOY MAKES IT BIG: As a third-year pro, Orlando power forward Kyle O’Quinn has played numerous times now under the famed pinwheel roof at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

But every time is just as special as the first for O’Quinn, who grew up in nearby Jamaica, Queens, and always dreamed of getting to play professionally in the Garden. O’Quinn got to attend one game at The Garden as a kid and, coincidentally, it was to see the Magic play because he was a big fan of former Orlando superstar Penny Hardaway.

Back home on Thursday before Friday’s game, O’Quinn reveled the adulation that comes with being a NBA player in New York. His family and friends have gotten to witness the center living out a boyhood dream and they remind him of that every time they see him.

``It’s three years of coming home and going back to my neighborhood and they say, `Hey Kyle, you’re back?’ And I get to say, `Yeah, we play the Knicks tomorrow night.’ It’s amazing just to be able to say that,’’ O’Quinn said. ``My whole neighborhood and my support group they love for me coming back home. Not a lot of them get to come to the games because of the ticket situation, but I know they are watching. And knowing that my mom is up in the stands (at Madison Square Garden), it’s all smiles for me.’’

FULL ROSTER: Now that the Magic have all 15 players on the roster healthy for the first time since the second day of training camp, head coach Jacque Vaughn has to do some roster juggling from night to night.

Before Vaughn can figure out minutes for players and all of the rotations that he wants to use in games, he must first trim down the Magic’s roster before every game. While NBA rules allow for 15 players on the roster, only 13 can be active for each game.

On Wednesday in Detroit – a game where Harris returned from a sprained ankle to give Orlando 15 healthy players – small forward Maurice Harkless and power forward Andrew Nicholson were de-activated. On Friday in New York, center Dewayne Dedmon and Harkless were placed on the inactive list.

Vaughn said the active and inactive list will remain fluid from game to game based on matchups.

``With 15 guys that’s going to change with matchups some nights and giving guys an opportunity to dress as well,’’ Vaughn said. ``Seeing matchups, thinking ahead to what could happen with foul trouble – all of that goes int the nightly game plan.’’

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