On a sunny Thursday afternoon outside Pepsi Center, Gary Harris was spending time with Nuggets fans.
The 25-year-old guard took time to sign game-worn sneakers and distribute them to the long line of fans that came out. After the sneakers ran out, Harris signed jerseys, Nuggets memorabilia, a computer and even a ukulele. As the line of fans grew, Harris stayed to take a picture with any fan who wanted one.
"Two years ago I did a scavenger hunt where I signed shoes and put them all around the city,” Harris told Nuggets.com. “I didn't have the time to do that today, but I still wanted to give back to the fans so I decided to just give them away outside Pepsi Center."
Harris spent over half an hour with the fans after completing a morning workout inside Pepsi Center. As Harris prepares for a 2019-20 season in which he will be looking to bounce back after an injury-riddled 2018-19 campaign, he made sure to still make time for the fans.
"The fans support us all year so it's the least you could do,” Harris said. “It's something simple. The shoes would have been thrown away, so it's better to give them out to our fans."
Harris averaged 12.9 points per game last season but saw his shooting numbers fall as a result of several lower-body injuries. When healthy, the former first-round pick offers dynamic two-way play on the perimeter, with his ability to knock down 3-point shots and guard the opposing team’s best perimeter players.
“I know Gary had a tough season because of the injuries and finding that rhythm and consistency, but in my four years in Denver Gary has been the picture of consistency” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said at the end of the 2018-19 season.
Even as he prepares for an important season of basketball, Harris always has the fans in mind.