Hoops Habit
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Philadelphia 76ers: Tobias Harris speaks about Kobe, Sixer struggles and more

By Duncan Smith

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 25: Tobias Harris #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 25, 2020 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 25: Tobias Harris #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 25, 2020 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 25: Tobias Harris #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 25, 2020, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

After a difficult week in the NBA, Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris joined me to talk about Kobe Bryant, Sixer struggles and more.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been a confounding mess at times. Expected to challenge the Milwaukee Bucks for Eastern Conference supremacy after Kawhi Leonard left the Toronto Raptors for the LA Clippers, the Sixers have been a middling playoff team sitting in the six seed. Sixers forward Tobias Harris joined me to talk about their struggles this season, his time at Kobe Bryant‘s Mamba Academy this summer and more.

In the aftermath of Bryant’s stunning death in a helicopter accident that claimed his life and the lives of eight others last Sunday, it’s been a struggle to get by for players all over the NBA. Some players had close experience with him as a mentor, and Harris was one of these players who had the opportunity to work with him this past summer at Bryant’s Mamba Academy.

"“In the summer I got a call from Phil Handy. He asked me, ‘Hey, would you want to come to LA for two days?'”, Harris said. “It was two days of workouts with him. For me it was a no brainer, I was like yeah, I’m there. Let me know the days. I was probably the first one to RSVP. Kobe was there the whole time. Instructing, watching us, showing us a lot of things that helped him be super successful.”"

One of the amazing things about Kobe Bryant is that he was not just a star, but he was an icon to the other greats in the NBA. Star players were eager for his tutelage and learning under him either personally or at the Mamba Academy was a privilege.

"“In this game it’s all the little things that push you over the edge. So there were a lot of things we were able to learn there. The biggest thing was just how in tune with the game Kobe was, and how locked in he was. It’s why he was so great. He’s got that wisdom to the game, it was through the roof. When you were around him you just felt the vibe of how serious he was, just how impactful he was,” Harris said."