Mike Harris: Career, Net Worth & Family

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Mike Harris is an American-born professional player who achieved fame playing basketball for many years in overseas leagues.

He last played as a small forward for the Magnolia Hotshots in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) League.

After going undrafted in the 2005 NBA draft, Harris did not give up and initially pursued a career in Ukraine.

Over the years, he has played for different clubs in countries such as China, Puerto Rico, Lebanon, etc.

However, he has had a brief stint in the NBA and NBA G League as well.

Mike Harris with the Rice University team (Source: Rice Athletics)
Mike Harris with the Rice University team (Source: Rice Athletics)

Before his professional league debut, he played college basketball for the Rice Owls. As the Owls’ all-time leading scorer, he finished his college career with 2014 points and 1111 rebounds.

Mike is one of the most successful American players who played in various foreign leagues. He won the Baharain League championship in 2021. 

Moreover, he was the winner of the Chinese Basketball League in 2016, in which he also became the CBA Player of the Year.

Let’s explore in detail the life and struggles of Mike Harris. But before that, here are some quick facts about him.

Quick Facts

Full Name Michael Harris
Known As Mike Harris
Date of Birth June 15, 1983
Birth Place Hillsboro, Texas, the USA
Nick Name Not available
Religion Christianity
Nationality American
Ethnicity African-American
Zodiac Sign  Gemini
Age 40 years old
Height 1.98 m (6 feet 6 inches)
Weight 235 lb (107 kg)
Hair Color Black
Eye Color Black
Build Athletic
Father’s Name Wendell Harris
Mother’s Name Cheryl Brooks
Siblings None
Education
  • Hillsboro High School (Hillsboro, Texas)
  • William Marsh Rice University ( Houston, Texas)
Marital Status Married
Sexual Orientation Straight
Wife’s name Not available
Kids Not available
Profession Basketball player
NBA Draft 2005 / Undrafted
Position Small forward
League  Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)
Active Years (2005 – Present)
Net Worth (estimated) $2 million
Recent club Magnolia Hotshots
Jersey Number 52
Social Media  Not available
Merch Rice University Owls NCAA Basketball T-shirt
Last Update March 2024

Mike Harris | Early Life, Family & Education

Michael “Mike” Harris was born on June 15, 1983, in Hillsboro, Texas, United States. He is the only son of his parents, Wendell Harris (Father) and Cheryl Brooks (Mother).

Mike grew up and learned about everything in the small town of Hillsboro. His father, Wendell, was a construction worker, so his meager earnings were hardly sufficient for the family of three to sustain their life.

On top of that, he was an alcoholic and often abused Cheryl. He was so dangerous that he used to hurl everything that he could get a hold of at her.

When Harris was two years old, Cheryl felt like she couldn’t withstand Wendell’s violence anymore. Consequently, she left him and took little Mike along with her to live with her mother and sister in another neighborhood near Hillsboro.

Mike, then, had a good upbringing as the new environment was enjoyable. He liked spending time with his grandmother and preferred listening to her beautiful stories.

His mother, Cheryl, used to work outdoors for a living. So, he used to help the ladies at home with their household chores like preparing food, cleaning, etc. Similarly, they were very religious, so they visited the church every Sunday.

Growing Up With A Strong Woman

Harris was very studious and consistently achieved good grades in exams. He attended the Hillsboro High School in the same town and progressed quickly. Moreover, he was actively involved in sports activities.

His mother was also an athlete during her youth, so she taught him shooting and dribbling when he was little. Besides, she taught him everything about life and dreams.

However, she did not live long enough to see him succeed in life. She passed away when he was a freshman in high school. However, he continued his education after her demise and graduated in 2001.

After graduation, he studied the Rice University in Houston until 2005. He worked various part-time jobs to pay for his college fees and needs like mowing grass, collecting littered cans, etc.

Mike Harris | Basketball Career

High School & College Career

Mike studied at the Hillsboro High School in Hillsboro, Texas, where he made himself into a capable basketball player.

Just a day after his mother’s death, he returned to the school team. He started practicing as usual because it was what his mother had taught him, i.e., not letting difficult situations hinder the journey while fulfilling one’s dreams.

Mike Harris (rightmost) and McKreith (leftmost) with Carlin Hartman and Lorenzo Williams (Source: Twitter)
Mike Harris (rightmost) and McKreith (leftmost) with Carlin Hartman and Lorenzo Williams (Source: Twitter)

Hence, he did very well throughout his high school years and joined the Rice University basketball team for his college career. Mike displayed exceptional performance right from his freshman season and had excellent stats that season.

He quickly teamed up with Jason McKrieth, who had a similar personal story, and the duo led the Rice Owls in both scoring and rebounding. Harris had averaged 12.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in his first season.

Moreover, his performance kept improving more in the later seasons, and the head coaches were pretty assured that he would make it to the NBA. He played all four college seasons and finished with all-time best scores in Rice Owls’ history.

He finished his senior season with an average of 20.6 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.

Also, read about the six-time CBA All-Star Lester Hudson: Net Worth & Career>>>

Professional Career

Contrary to many people’s speculation, no NBA club picked Harris in the 2005 draft, so he set off to Ukraine for his professional league debut. 

He then played for the BC Kyiv in the Ukrainian Super League for a year.

He returned to the United States to test his luck, so he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2006. The Bucks allowed him for around five preseason matches, but he performed poorly.

Consequently, they released him before the 2006-07 season stated. After this failed experiment, he played for a while in the NBA D-League for the Colorado 14ers. Harris played for a few other clubs in the NBA D-League until 2010.

However, in the meantime, he went to Chinese and other foreign leagues as they paid better much better than the NBA minor league clubs.

But, he stayed for some more years in America, attempting to secure a place in the NBA, but it did not help.

Even though he played briefly for three different NBA clubs, including his hometown Houston club, his performance was far from impressive.

Mike Harris with the Alaska Aces
Mike Harris with the Alaska Aces (Source: Tiebreaker Times)

For that reason, he played in the Chinese Basketball League, Puerto Rican Basketball Leagues, and other leagues in Asia for most of his playing career.

In addition, he was very successful in his overseas ventures as he became league champion multiple times and bagged many significant player awards in major leagues.

Most recently, he was playing for the PBA club Magnolia Hotshots in the Philippines, where he was a prominent athlete.

Awards & Achievements:

Some of his awards and achievements include:

  • Bahrain League Champion (2021)
  • NBA D-League Champion (2010)
  • West Asian Basketball Cup champion (2018)
  • BSN Import Player of the Year (2014)
  • Chinese NBL Player of the Year (2019)
  • PBA Best Import of the Conference (2018)
  • CBA champion (2016)
  • Chinese NBL Import Player of the Year (2019)
  • BSN MVP (2013)
  • BSN champion (2014, 2015)
  • NBA D-League All-Star (2010)
  • CBA Player of the Year (2016)
  • First-team All-WAC (2004, 2005)

Mike Harris | Net Worth & Earnings

The estimated net worth of famous overseas player Mike Harris is around $2 million.

Although he has spent over fifteen years playing basketball, he earned comparatively less than his contemporaries as he could not stick to the NBA.

After playing in some NBA regular matches and NBA minor leagues, he went abroad.

Mike Harris (Source: Deseret News)
Mike Harris (Source: Deseret News)

However, Harris was seen as the best import athlete in the overseas league, so his salary was much higher.

In some foreign leagues, such as the CBA League, his annual salary was nearly $1 million.

So, he traveled across various countries to play club basketball and accumulated a lot of money. But, of course, it was lesser than he would have wanted to make.

Anyways, he has a far better life than he had in the past and owns a comfortable house in Houston, Texas. 

Check out our article on the 2014 NBA draft’s top pick Andrew Wiggins!

Age, Weight & Height

As of 2024, Mike Harris is 40 years old. 

About his physical stats, Harris stands 1.98 meters (6 feet 6 inches) tall and weighs around 235 lb (107 kg).

Mike Harris | Personal Life

Mike Harris has a huge fan following in countries other than the USA, where he spent most of his productive times. So, his fans wish to know about his personal life, but unfortunately, he wants to avoid personal questions as much as possible.

However, we have learned that he is a married man and is very happy with his wife. She lives in his Houston house in Texas and is engaged in community service programs as per the media.

Besides that, there are no reliable personal details about the player in media outlets. So, his personal life is still a secret to many of us.

Kind-Hearted Harris

Mike is not only a good sportsperson but a kind-hearted man as well. He is well-known among his fans as someone who would always help needy people.

In 2018, when he was in the Philippines for Alaska Aces of the PBA, a video of him buying food for the street children surfaced on the Internet. 

The clip was uploaded by Alma Agravante Pangaibat and was shared almost 15,000 times as of posting time. It also had more than 10,000 reactions and more than 800 comments. 

However, he does not want to feel special because he did what he had to do. He had come from a family with lower economic background, so he knew very well about life on the streets.

Likewise, he remarked that he and his wife did much charitable work back in America. His wife, too, encourages him to help people and supports him. But, he thinks that one should not engage in philanthropy to show off in public.

Furthermore, he cleared that he never had the intention to be viral for doing such work. Anyway, it eventually did, and perhaps, it inspired his fans.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What team does Mike Harris play for?

Mike Harris played for the Magnolia Hotshots of the PBA until recently, but it seems it is now worrisome after their PBA Governor’s Cup ended in the semi-finals with him being seriously injured.

He is currently hospitalized in the Philippines but hopes to return to the USA soon.

Does Mike Harris play football?

No, the Texas-born does not play football. Michael Cory Harris is a football guard who is retired at the time.

Yaman Bhattarai
Yaman Bhattaraihttps://playersbio.com/

Yaman Bhattarai

Yaman Bhattarai is a dedicated writer with a keen interest in exploring the multifaceted world of sports. His articles offer readers a dynamic blend of insightful analysis, captivating storytelling, and cultural commentary that enriches their understanding of the athletes, events, and trends that shape the sporting landscape.

Expertise:

History Retrospectives Sports Technology

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  • Yaman delves into the rich tapestry of sports history, uncovering iconic moments, legendary athletes, and transformative events.
  • He examines the business side of sports, exploring topics such as sponsorship deals.

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With a background in writing and a passion for sports as a cultural phenomenon, Yaman approaches each article with a blend of curiosity, rigor, and creativity. He seeks to inspire, educate, and entertain readers through his exploration of the timeless themes and enduring legacies that define the world of sports.

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