Al Harrington made the popular choice by many skilled players in the 90’s and early 2000’s to make the jump from high school right to the NBA and completely forego college. Harrington’s choice at the time, according to NBC Probasketballtalk’s Dan Feldman wasn’t exactly going well to start.
It didn’t take long into Al Harrington’s rookie year until he faced questions about whether he regretted turning pro directly from high school.
Harrington, whom the Pacers drafted in the first round of the 1998 NBA draft, was barely playing. His mother even called then-Indiana assistant coach Rick Carlisle to complain during that 1999 season.
Harrington withstood the early tests and ended up having one of the most successful careers for a player making that jump from High School to the NBA.
Harrington joins an exclusive list of 83 players who played 15 or more seasons in the NBA and is one of only 5 players who made the jump from high school to the NBA and played 15 or more seasons. He joins Rashard Lewis, Jermaine O’Neal, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant on that list.
Following from Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post.
“I’m officially retired,” Harrington said.
Coaching or front-office work is in his future, and Harrington’s getting a crash course in both, helping the coaches out with the remainder of the Nuggets’ season and then with the draft.
When Nuggets interim coach Melvin Hunt was elevated to his current post following the firing of Brian Shaw, Harrington was one of the first to congratulate him via text.
The next day Hunt had a text message for him: “You interested in coming and helping out?”
Harrington: “I’m actually going to be in town next week.”
Hunt: “Come by practice!”
Hunt needed the help. Harrington wanted the work.
Harrington’s game eventually flourished with the Pacers as he became one of the league’s best sixth men at such a young age. Indiana traded him to the Atlanta Hawks, who eventually sent him back to the Pacers, Indiana then traded him again to the Golden State Warriors but finally He then got traded to the Knicks, averaging 20 points per game in New York, being the main option for that team.
The Knicks let him walk and he signed with the Denver Nuggets and became more helpful coming off the bench in a smaller role that better fit his skill set at the time. He was a part of the Orlando Magic for a season before he joined the Washington Wizards to provide the playoff team a spark off the bench last season and that was all we saw from Harrington in the NBA after he tried to play in China to get some interest from NBA teams but it fell short and no teams were interested in his services.
Now with Harrington being able to help the Nuggets staff with assessing the younger talent, it will surely provide a good, trained eye from a guy who’s been there before. The players coming out of college, for the most part are one and done, they’re essentially high school kids still. Harrington came right out of high school, so he knows a thing about young talent trying to come to the NBA.
