Harper Teaches Koreans All for Team
By Yoon Chul
Staff Reporter
The Korea Development Camp presented by Shinhan Card returned to Seoul for the third year last week, as some of Korea's best young basketball players got the chance to learn from the pros.
The Korean Basketball League (KBL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) organized the four-day program, which took place from Thursday to Sunday.
The top 40 Korean high school players were invited to the camp to learn from players and coaches from the two leagues.
Five-time NBA champion Ron Harper was the biggest star in attendance. Harper won three straight NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls alongside legends Michael Jordan and Scotty Pippen and then won two more titles in 2000 and 2001 with the Los Angeles Lakers with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.
``I am very happy to come to Korea. It is my first time here. I would like to make good memories here,'' the 45-year-old told The Korea Times.
In his first season, Harper was named to the NBA All-Rookie team in 1986-87 season after averaging 22.9 points and 4.8 rebounds with 4.8 assists with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Through the first eight seasons of his career, Harper was a good player on two bad teams with the Cavs and later the Los Angeles Clippers. Harper eventually decided he wanted to play for a winner, even if it meant a reduced role. Harper joined the Bulls just as Michael Jordan returned to the court after a brief retirement. When he arrived, Chicago coach Phil Jackson asked Harper to focus on defence.
``I lost a lot,'' said Harper, who saw his points-per-game drop from 20 to 6.9 when he left the Clippers for the Bulls in 1994. ``But I wasn't disappointed about changing my role ― never, ever.''
Harper explained that he had matured as a player, and his goals had changed.
``When you first start playing basketball, you play for yourself at first. But as the years go on, you want to win a championship. As a kid you watch every team that wins a championship… and ultimately it's not about what you do, it's what the team does.''
``I knew that I was a good basketball player but I did not win a lot of games,'' Harper said of his time with the Cavs and Clippers. ``To win the championship was my dream when I was growing up. But the only way to win a championship was to get to a good basketball team. You can score all the points you want on a team that's not going anywhere, but I wanted to go somewhere.''
As a player on teams with prolific scorers like Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Jordan, Harper didn't get the chance to take a lot of shots.
``I could score but it wasn't my role. My role was to pass the ball to the good players. You learn that it's all about playing team basketball. I didn't score points, but I helped the team win.''
``I played with the best player of all time. He's going to shoot more than me. I know I have to get the ball to him.''
Harper remembered his first meeting with Jackson.
``Phil asked me, how am I going to help this team and I said `my job is to be a defensive player' and he said `you're going to play a lot then''' Harper said.
``I knew what he wanted me to do, and I did it."
Harper had the unique opportunity of playing with both Jordan and Bryant, and while he believes Jordan is the best ever, he said they both have an incredible work ethic.
He said some of young Korean players at camp also brought a strong work ethic.
``Some players come here to work very hard, but a few kids are here to have fun. I always tell folks, the only way you learn how to play the game is to play hard all the time.''
He added that having fun is important, too.
``You've got to have fun, but if you don't enjoy playing this game, then don't play it.''
Harper said his team-minded mentality comes from his upbringing.
``I was one of five boys and a girl in my house. We always played basketball together. That was how I learned about being team.''