Today Harrison Barnes celebrates his 34th birthday. As one of the elder statesmen with the San Antonio Spurs, Barnes has been a leader both on and off the court. In addition to his athletic ability, his philanthropic endeavors have been recognized throughout the league.
Barnes was drafted by the Golden State Warriors 7th overall in 2012. In 2015, he won an NBA title with the Warriors. He, along with Luke Kornet, are the two current members of the Spurs with NBA Championships.
The following year, the Warriors tallied the greatest regular season record in NBA history going 73-9. In the Western Conference Finals, they met the Oklahoma City Thunder. And on May 30, 2016 — ten years ago today — Harrison Barnes won his last Game 7 against that very Thunder team, advancing to the NBA Finals.
Can Barnes and the Spurs grant a birthday victory? Let’s blow out the candles and sing him a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday.”
This game is going to be epic. For the young Spurs, this is the most important NBA game they have ever played. In fact, after the Spurs tied the series on Thursday night, Dylan Harper stated Game 7 will be the biggest game he’s played in. When asked what was the biggest game so far, he said, “this one tonight” referring to Game 6.
For Barnes, this is his furthest he’s been in the postseason in quite some time. He has the opportunity to make it to the big show a decade after back-to-back trips in the early years of his career. Back then, he was on the court with a generational player being coached by a man who credited much of his learning to Gregg Popovich.
While the situation may bear similarities, tomorrow’s game will determine if the Spurs will make their first NBA Finals in a dozen years. The last time Barnes was in this situation, the Warriors fought their way into their second consecutive title run. He was a young player. Now, he brings institutional knowledge to a team looking to secure a shot to play the New York Knicks next week. But first, they have to get through tonight.
Happy birthday, Harrison, may this be your best day yet.
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