Thomas Harris – (1999)

So close. Oh so close.

That’s how it was between Admiral King High School graduate and basketball great Thomas (Tommy) Harris and a professional career with the Boston Celtics in the NBA. It was 1977, the year the Celtics drafted a guy named Larry Bird, and the talented but much lesser-known Harris.

Bird’s pro career is now legend. Harris had the team made, except that two days before opening day, Boston opted for veteran Dave Bing, just released by the Detroit Pistons and, sadly, Tommy Harris was sent home.

But back to where it all began, AKHS, Tommy is the kid brother of Jim (Bubbles) Harris, a 1986 Lorain Sports Hall of Fame inductee who was first team All-Ohio and Ohio Player of the Year on AKHS’s No. 2 ranked 21-2 basketball team under Coach Al McConihe in 1966-67.

Not intimidated by his older brother’s cage credentials, Tommy Harris became first team All-Ohio under Coach Mitch Gillam in 1972-73, AND Ohio Class AAA Player of the Year. He was Buckeye Conference scoring champion, averaging 24 points. Touting his own astounding high school credentials, Tommy went to Vincennes, Ind., Junior College where his two-year 1,488 points total made him the all-time scoring leader ahead of Bob McAdoo, destined for NBA super stardom. A teammate was Rickey Green, later of Michigan and NBA standout. Tommy earned Junior College All-America honors in 1974-75.

He played his final two collegiate basketball seasons at Bowling Green State University where he scored 1,137 points which, at the time, ranked 20th all-time at BGSU. What made it stand out even more, every player ahead of him played three or four seasons. Tommy was voted team MVP in 1976-77 when he scored 624 points and average 23.1. His career 21.1 scoring average ranked fourth at BG at the time.

Tommy Harris, despite a limited major college career (two years), still managed to earn honorable mention honors by The Sporting News and Basketball Weekly in 1976-77.