Getty Tobias Harris attends Netflix's "Hustle" Philadelphia special screening.
Typically, fans are only invited into a basketball player’s life on the court. But every once in a while, fans get a peak behind the curtain to see how their favorite stars live outside of the game. And Philadelphia 76ers fans got quite the peak on Wednesday.
Sixers veteran Tobias Harris took to Twitter Wednesday night to send love to the Tennessee Volunteers Men’s Basketball Team on their schedule reveal. Harris suited up for the Vols for just one season before declaring for the NBA back in 2011.
But there was something unusual about the schedule reveal. It wasn’t just a photograph of school names, dates, and home/away designations. No, the Vols got creative, using a Gameboy followed by a Pokemon-themed look at who the school plays this season.
WHO’S THAT POKÉMON ???
It’s ᵗʰᵉ ²⁰²²⁻²³ ᵗᵉⁿⁿᵉˢˢᵉᵉ ᵛᵒˡᵘⁿᵗᵉᵉʳˢ ᵇᵃˢᵏᵉᵗᵇᵃˡˡ ˢᶜʰᵉᵈᵘˡᵉ
And Harris followed up the Vols’ announcement with a message of his own. One that should make everyone on Tennessee’s communications team very, very happy.
“The marketing department deserves a raise!📈🔥,” Harris tweeted.
But Harris wasn’t quite done yet. The veteran is known for engaging with fans on social media and took this as an opportunity to reveal his love of Pokemon for all to see. When asked about his favorite generation, Harris had a quick (and unsurprising) follow-up.
“Def gen 1. But anytime a new Pokemon comes out I wanna be the very best😂,” Harris explained.
Def gen 1. But anytime a new Pokémon comes out I wanna be the very best 😂
Harris’ affinity for Pokemon goes deep. He even rattled off his three favorite Pokemon (Charizard, Gengar, and Gyarados) and his favorite legendary character (Lugia).
Hopefully, Harris will channel that competitive energy this season, as the Sixers gear up for yet another playoff push. While the team is stocked with young talent in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, Harris, James Harden, and PJ Tucker round out a rapidly-aging starting five.
Tobias Harris’ 2K Rating Was Recently Revealed
Pokemon isn’t the only video game Harris has a connection with. Recently, the basketball gaming platform 2K released its player ratings for its 2023 release.
Harris earned the Sixers’ fourth-highest rating at 82 overall. That rating is Harris’ lowest since 2018-19, his first season with Philadelphia. Since then, he had steadily improved his rating, peaking at an 85 in 2019-20 and 2021-22.
But the 2021-22 season was also something of a downer for Harris on the stat sheet. He averaged just 17.2 points per game, his lowest since splitting time with the Magic and Pistons in 2014. His assists, field-goal percentage, and field-goal attempts also dipped to recent lows.
Fortunately, Harris doesn’t have to be Philadelphia’s best player. Or second, or third-best for that matter. Per those 2K ratings, Joel Embiid (96), James Harden (89), and Tyrese Maxey (85) all slot in ahead of Harris on the current Sixers’ roster.
The next two closest to Harris in 2K’s ratings are two of Philadelphia’s summer acquisitions. De’Anthony Melton (80) and Montrezl Harrell (79) rate just behind Harris.
Harris’ Love for E-Game Animals Runs Deep
This isn’t the first time Harris has given his seal of approval on a virtual game. On August 29, he liked a tweet from Genopets, a “Move to Earn NFT RPG.”
Peep the detail on the Floor Carving for Genesis Habitats 👀
A preview from the new build.
P.S. is that a stage 3 Genopet?
Harris is keeping that inner child alive, even if he’s forced onto the court with some of the world’s toughest athletes. It just goes to show that some things from the past, you simply can’t leave behind.
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Tobias Harris Reveals Nerdy Off-Court Obsession