By EMERY CHILDS
As the Orlando Magic close out another season, the work for Dix Hills native small forward, Tobias Harris has just begun. It’s the focus, drive and desire to help the world that has attributed to the rising star’s upward journey; Many may not know the story that transformed Tobias Harris’s jersey from a cloth to a cape, virtually overnight.
Tobias John Harris, born July 15, 1992 is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Orlando Magic of the NBA. The 6 ft 9 in forward played one season of college basketball for Tennessee University before declaring for the 2011 NBA draft where he was drafted 19th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats and then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He relentlessly worked to make lifelong dream of being a pro basketball player a reality. It took a falling star to push Harris into a new stratosphere of determination. It was a childhood friendship that fueled the drive for the quest to the top.
Morgan Childs moved to New Jersey from Los Angeles with a basketball skill set Tristate coaches couldn’t believe. At 7 years old he’d been playing pickup games with grown men, and giving them a run for their money. He had a Southern Californian demeanor on and off the court that New York AAU basketball was in desperate need of. On the court he was aggressive but off the court he was cool, laid back and on California time. It was on the court where Childs met Harris.
Morgan’s sister chased after Tobias and Morgan between games at Riverside church in Morningside Heights, New York City. Watching from the dimly lit balcony above the courts every Saturday was her life for so many years. She had become so used to the sound of whistles combined with “Coach Wee’s” screaming, she could almost tune it out without even trying. As the boys ran up and down the tight hallways of the cathedral that many used as a safe haven, Morgan’s sister was in captured by the brotherhood that was created over a game. Every Saturday the Manhattan gothic style cathedral was swarming with African American boys with navy blue drawstring backpacks with the iconic “Hawk” decal right in the middle; some used basketball as an escape and some were running toward their dreams.
Traveling, sometimes hours in the backseat of a Jeep crunched in-between sweaty preteen boys might not seem like an appropriate place for a little girl to be. Long days of keeping score, field trips feet away to the concession stands with any other little girl in a 50 feet radius, and sitting around waiting for the next game to start was a typical weekend.
As the boys grew older, the jerseys changed from Riverside Church to Unique All-stars but the bond kept its consistency. Childs and Harris both having fathers with “in it to win it” attitudes in the urban basketball where fathers were few and far between only connected them more.
Reaching for their dreams
It wasn’t until the summer of 2008 that word was in that Childs wasn’t doing too well. He had battled a malicious blood disease for years that eventually turned into Leukemia. Childs had been sick in the past, unbeknown to most of his friends so his inner circle was hopeful he would be triumphant, yet again… they were wrong.
On Monday, June 23, 2008 there was stillness as Morgan passed at the age of 17. Teammates from all over the world flew in for his service. They comforted each other, although some of them had never met. Once again, Morgan’s sister was able to see the comradery influenced by a game of basketball. The young men grabbed the rails of the cherry wood casket and carried their friend off the court, one last time.
That moment changed Harris and left him no option but to live his life for two people. From that moment forward there was a particular brand of overdrive that nobody could put their finger on. Harris connected the dots for the public as he changed his number to 12 exclusively to honor the fallen angel that had worn the number previously. Harris who was then a senior in high school initially was in the search for a smaller jersey and number 12 was in fact smaller, but as all the signs added up, Harris realized how he was going to honor his friend who not too long ago was just a bounce pass away.
Tobias was drafted into the NBA in 2011. Starting his career, the 6’8 titan infiltrated the pro basketball scene. Tobias didn’t perpetuate the “rookie” stereotype as he reached back and put the youth of his community, whom he often calls “the next generation” on his back by creating a youth basketball camp in his hometown. His most recent humanitarian efforts include joining Chase to help refurbish a school basketball court.
When asked what part of his upbringing contributed to his humanitarian driven lifestyle, he replied “I would say my parents instilling in me at a young age that you can’t take life as a joke. The passing of Morgan also showed me life is way too short and it made me really reach even further for my goals.”
He was unable to wear number 12 for the Bucks but changed it back promptly as he geared up to join the Orlando Magic. The intense work ethic and countless sacrifices wouldn’t be made in vein. The early morning training sessions were building him for the long road ahead.
Battle for 12
Crowd favorite Dwight Howard had worn the number previously for the Magic and was distressed that the organization would let another player wear his beloved number 12. With Tobias on the scene, Howard’s hopes for Orlando retiring his number were virtually impossible. Howard told Sports Illustrated, “”I just think that despite whatever happened, there was a lot of things that I did and that we did as a team, and that number was special down there. And I was a little bit upset about that.” Tobias knew his decision could ruffle some feathers but wearing 12 was worth the risk.
“At first I got some backlash from it but I knew people would understand it was to honor someone I had so much respect for and a lot of people appreciated it and that’s what was important to myself and family.”
Reporters flocked to cover the story about Tobias’s friend who had pushed the superstar over the edge. ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Newsday and countless other media outlets gave their interpretation of the events in 2013. Now that the smoke has cleared another narrative finally has the platform to emerge, from the eyes of Morgan Childs’ sister. That sister, is this writer.
Check out Tobias’s heartfelt Video below