Dallas Mavericks: Devin Harris has always been the quiet Maverick

Dallas Mavericks veteran Devin Harris has seen many stops, but he always comes back to Dallas. Harris quietly has become a pillar of the organization.

The Dallas Mavericks and Devin Harris have a long history. From the moment he arrived in Dallas as a rookie via trade, Harris has quietly gone about the business of playing basketball. No matter his position or the decade, Harris filled whatever role was asked of him and did it without any drama or complaint. Even when he wasn’t getting playing time as a rookie, Harris didn’t cause a fuss, despite being a top-five pick in the draft.

“I was able to use my lack of playing time as motivation, and I had some of my best practices,” Harris told Sports Illustrated at the time. “I think that showed the coaches I deserved to play more.”

Harris travels well, but always a Mav

In 2008, Harris was the centerpiece of a trade with the Nets that brought Jason Kidd back to the Mavericks. After he starred in his debut with his new franchise, Harris told reporters “I just want to be myself and play as hard as I can and get them to accept me for who I am.” He was speaking about the New Jersey fans, but it might as well have been a mantra for his career.

Over the course of 14 years, Harris has traveled the NBA. He was the star in New Jersey and notched his only All-Star appearance. Harris was part of another blockbuster trade, heading to Utah as part of a package that brought Deron Williams to the Nets. At other stops in Atlanta and Denver, he went about business the same way. He was always quietly efficient and maximizing his given role.

But despite all those other uniforms, Harris has spent ten seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. His numbers weren’t always eye-popping, and Harris wasn’t here for the 2011 championship, but somehow it feels strange to think of the Mavericks without Harris on the roster.

When you close your eyes and remember his time in Dallas, don’t you see him running the pick-and-roll with Dirk Nowitzki to perfection?

Sometimes, a player seems destined to be part of a team. Sometimes they seem almost inseparable from a certain uniform, no matter where the circumstances of professional basketball take them.

No, Harris probably isn’t one of the top five Mavericks players of all time. He might not even be in the top ten. Harris has quietly been a rock for this franchise, whether Mavs fans realized it or not.

“At the end of the day when I’m done with my career, yeah, I think I was always meant to be a Maverick,” Harris told the Dallas Morning News. “It didn’t always happen that way. But it may start and end that way.”

Devin Harris has been quietly doing his job here in Dallas for ten years. Now it’s time for Mavs fan to be loud in their appreciation.