Al Harrington

Al Harrington
Harrington with the Nuggets in January 2011
Personal information
Born (1980-02-17) February 17, 1980
Orange, New Jersey
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight 245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High school St. Patrick (Elizabeth, New Jersey)
NBA draft 1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 25th overall
Selected by the Indiana Pacers
Playing career 1998–2015
Position Power forward
Career history
19982004 Indiana Pacers
20042006 Atlanta Hawks
2006–2007 Indiana Pacers
20072008 Golden State Warriors
20082010 New York Knicks
20102012 Denver Nuggets
2012–2013 Orlando Magic
2013–2014 Washington Wizards
2014 Fujian Sturgeons
2015 Sydney Kings
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Albert Harrington (born February 17, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player. Selected with 25th overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, Harrington played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards. He also spent a short stint with the Fujian Sturgeons of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

Since retiring from the NBA, Harrington has become an entrepreneur in the cannabis industry.[1] Harrington is a cousin of NBA player Dahntay Jones.[2]

Early life

Born in Orange, New Jersey, Harrington grew up in Roselle, New Jersey and played high school basketball at St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was named both Gatorade and USA Today's National Player of the Year, as well as a 1998 McDonald's High School All-American after his senior season.[3]

Professional career

Indiana Pacers (1998–2004)

At only 18 years of age, Harrington was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 25th overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, and spent six seasons with them, primarily coming off the bench. Harrington really began to come into his own in the 2001–02 season, in which he averaged 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, but his season came to an end in a game against the Boston Celtics when he suffered a knee injury that forced him to miss the final 38 games of the season.

He made a comeback in the 2002–03 season, becoming the only Pacer to play in all 82 games that year. He averaged 12.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while starting in 37 games. The following season, he boosted his averages slightly to 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, and finished second in voting for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. He was an integral part of the Pacers' first run to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000.

Atlanta Hawks (2004–2006)

On July 15, 2004, Harrington was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Stephen Jackson.[4] Harrington finally became a nightly starter, but the Hawks did not fare as successfully as the Pacers did after his departure.

Second run with Pacers (2006–2007)

On August 22, 2006, Harrington and John Edwards were acquired by the Indiana Pacers from the Atlanta Hawks in a sign-and-trade deal that also sent the Hawks a 2007 first round draft pick.[5] In 2006–07, Harrington wore jersey #32 because his first choice #3 was worn by teammate Šarūnas Jasikevičius (saying it stands for "number three, and it's my second time around").[6]

Golden State Warriors (2007–2008)

Harrington warming up before a Warriors/Lakers game on March 23, 2008.

On January 17, 2007, Harrington was dealt to the Golden State Warriors along with teammates Stephen Jackson, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, and Josh Powell for Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, Ike Diogu, and Keith McLeod.[7]

New York Knicks (2008–2010)

On November 21, 2008, Harrington was traded to the New York Knicks in exchange for Jamal Crawford.[8] In his two seasons with the Knicks, he played the best basketball of his career, but did not reach the playoffs in either season. In 140 games (66 starts), he averaged 19.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 32.7 minutes per game.[9]

Denver Nuggets (2010–2012)

On July 15, 2010, Harrington signed a multi-year deal with the Denver Nuggets.[10] During the 2010–11 season, he averaged 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 22.8 minutes per game. The Nuggets finished 50–32, fifth best in the Western Conference and second in the Northwest Division. The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Nuggets in five games in the first round of the 2011 playoffs.

Orlando Magic (2012–2013)

On August 10, 2012, Harrington was traded to the Orlando Magic in a four-team trade which sent Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers.[11] He only played 10 games for the Magic in 2012–13, averaging 5.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 11.7 minutes per game. The Magic finished with a 20-62 record, the worst record in the NBA. On August 2, 2013, Harrington was waived by the Magic.[12]

Washington Wizards (2013–2014)

On August 14, 2013, Harrington signed with the Washington Wizards.[13] He came off the bench in all 37 games he played for Washington, averaging 6.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest. The Wizards made their first playoff appearance since 2008, and Harrington played in 7 of the team's 11 postseason games.[14]

Fujian Sturgeons (2014)

On August 11, 2014, Harrington signed with the Fujian Sturgeons of the Chinese Basketball Association.[15][16] On November 25, 2014, he parted ways with Fujian amidst NBA interest.[17]

After returning to the United States and not receiving any NBA offers, Harrington announced his retirement from professional basketball on March 18, 2015, after averaging 13.5 points and 5.6 rebounds in a 16-year career that included stints with seven teams.[18]

Sydney Kings (2015)

Harrington later came out of retirement and signed with the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League on October 28, 2015 as an injury replacement for Josh Childress.[19] He made his debut for the Kings two days later, scoring 12 points off the bench in an 87–78 win over the Townsville Crocodiles.[20] With Childress set to return from injury, Harrington played his last game with Sydney on November 19, recording 18 points and 6 rebounds in a loss to the New Zealand Breakers.[21] In six games for the Kings, he averaged 17.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game.

Big3 (2017)

In the summer of 2017, Harrington competed in the inaugural season of the Big3 basketball league. He played for Trilogy and served as co-captain with former teammate Kenyon Martin.[22] The team went an undefeated 10-0 that season, winning the first-ever Big3 Championship.[23]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1998–99 Indiana 2107.6.321.000.6001.9.2.2.12.1
1999–00 Indiana 50017.1.458.235.7033.2.8.5.26.6
2000–01 Indiana 783824.3.444.143.6564.91.7.8.27.5
2001–02 Indiana 44129.8.475.333.7996.31.2.9.513.1
2002–03 Indiana 823730.1.434.283.7706.21.5.9.412.2
2003–04 Indiana 791530.9.463.273.7346.41.71.0.313.3
2004–05 Atlanta 666638.6.459.216.6727.03.21.3.217.5
2005–06 Atlanta 767636.6.452.346.6946.93.11.1.218.6
2006–07 Indiana 363633.6.458.458.7136.31.4.7.315.9
2006–07 Golden State 424232.3.456.417.6816.42.31.0.317.0
2007–08 Golden State 815927.0.434.375.7745.41.6.9.213.6
2008–09 Golden State 5533.2.329.393.5005.62.01.4.012.4
2008–09 New York 685135.0.446.362.8046.31.41.2.320.7
2009–10 New York 721530.5.435.342.7575.61.5.9.417.7
2010–11 Denver 73322.8.416.357.7354.51.4.5.110.5
2011–12 Denver 64127.5.446.333.6766.11.4.9.214.2
2012–13 Orlando 10011.9.351.267.7502.71.0.4.15.1
2013–14 Washington 34015.0.396.340.7712.4.8.4.06.6
Career 98144528.6.444.352.7275.61.7.9.313.5

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2001 Indiana 3013.3.154.000.5001.31.0.0.01.7
2003 Indiana 6017.2.212.000.6673.7.81.0.53.0
2004 Indiana 16226.7.429.400.5456.4.81.4.69.5
2007 Golden State 11523.8.398.395.6334.6.5.5.610.2
2011 Denver 5014.0.455.500.7501.41.0.6.05.6
2012 Denver 7023.3.320.286.6674.3.9.4.19.7
2014 Washington 708.4.400.000.7142.3.0.6.02.4
Career 55720.4.374.317.6054.2.7.8.47.3

Cannabis

Entrepreneurship

After retiring from the NBA, Harrington started a business that produces cannabis extracts. The company, Viola Extracts, is named after Harrington's grandmother who uses cannabis. Suffering from glaucoma and diabetes, she tried cannabis at the urging of Harrington and found significant relief.[24] The company cultivates cannabis in-house and has facilities in several states.[1][25]

In February 2018 Harrington announced the launch of Harrington Wellness, a company that manufactures non-psychoactive cannabinoid products.[26] Also announced was his investment in a third company Butter Baby, which makes cannabis edibles.[26] All three companies together comprise The Harrington Group.[27]

Advocacy

Harrington is a proponent for the legalization of cannabis. In October 2016, he appeared in an online ad endorsing the passage of California's Proposition 64.[28] He has also written an essay for The Players' Tribune titled "9 Reasons to End the War on Marijuana".[29]

In October 2017, Harrington interviewed former NBA commissioner David Stern regarding cannabis use by players.[30] Stern told Harrington during the interview: "I'm now at the point where personally I think [cannabis] probably should be removed from the banned list. You've persuaded me."[31]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Aldridge, David (October 30, 2017). "Al Harrington wants to help NBA see benefits of medical marijuana". nba.com. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  2. Chat with Al Harrington
  3. "Al Harrington traded for Stephen Jackson". InsideHoops.com. July 15, 2004. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  4. HAWKS OBTAIN AL HARRINGTON FROM INDIANA FOR STEPHEN JACKSON
  5. Pacers get Harrington from Hawks for first-round pick
  6. PACERS: Harrington All Smiles Upon Return To Pacers Archived February 17, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  7. "Pacers, Warriors announce 8-player deal". MOPSquad.com. January 17, 2007. Archived from the original on February 3, 2008. Retrieved December 23, 2007.
  8. "Knicks Acquire Al Harrington". NBA.com. November 21, 2008. Archived from the original on December 16, 2009.
  9. Al Harrington NBA & ABA Stats
  10. Denver Nuggets sign Al Harrington
  11. "It's official: Howard dealt to Lakers in four-team trade". NBA.com. August 10, 2012. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  12. Magic Request Waivers on Al Harrington
  13. "Wizards Sign Al Harrington". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. August 14, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  14. "Washington Wizards 2014 Statistics - Team and Player Stats - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-08-27.
  15. "Fujian officially signs Al Harrington". Sportando.com. August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  16. "Former New York Knicks' Forward Al Harrington China Bound". SportsMedia101.com. August 10, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  17. "Fujian signs DJ White, parts ways with Al Harrington". Sportando.com. November 25, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  18. Al Harrington retires after 16 seasons
  19. "KINGS SIGN NBA REPLACEMENT". SydneyKings.com. October 28, 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-11-01. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  20. "KINGS OVERPOWER CROCS AT KINGDOME". SydneyKings.com. October 30, 2015. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
  21. "KINGS FALL TO BREAKERS IN HARRINGTON FAREWELL". SydneyKings.com. November 19, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  22. Conway, Tyler. "BIG3 Basketball League 2017 Draft Results and Full Team Rosters". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2017-08-27.
  23. Rapp, Timothy. "Trilogy Defeat 3 Headed Monsters to Win Inaugural BIG3 League Championship". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2017-08-27.
  24. Schube, Sam (February 19, 2018). "Al Harrington Wants to Be the NBA's First Pot Mogul". GQ. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  25. Mano, Daniel (October 25, 2017). "Ex-Warriors' talk with David Stern signals sea change on marijuana in the NBA". The Mercury News. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  26. 1 2 "Basketball Legend Al Harrington Premiers "Harrington Wellness" Upscale and Professional Brand of CBD-Based Wellness Products" (Press release). PR Newswire. February 16, 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  27. Green, Johnny (February 17, 2018). "Cleveland Cavaliers Coach And NBA Players Attend CBD Product Launch". Weed News. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  28. Tinsley, Justin (October 31, 2016). "Retired NBA Vets Are Making Legal Marijuana The New Pick And Roll". The Undefeated. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  29. Harrington, Al (January 17, 2018). "9 Reasons to End the War on Marijuana". The Players' Tribune. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  30. "Former Commissioner David Stern: Medical marijuana should be removed from banned list". nba.com. October 25, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  31. "David Stern thinks medical marijuana shouldn't be on banned list". ESPN. October 26, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
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