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How NBA Player Tobias Harris Reflects Christ On and Off the Court

Photo from Philadelphia 76ers Instagram

How NBA Player Tobias Harris Reflects Christ On and Off the Court

By Movieguide® Staff

The Philadelphia 76ers are currently perched atop the Eastern Conference in the NBA standings. As the team hunts for their first championship since 1983, their power forward Tobias Harris is a crucial contributor to their success.

Despite individual and team success, Harris wants his life to point to Christ. After 10 years in the league, Harris has established himself as a consistent scorer on the court and the first to serve others off the court.

“Every day that I wake up understanding how blessed I am, how fortunate I am,” Harris told Pastor William McDowell during a Deeper Worship Intensive “Team Edition” episode. “When I do a lot of the community outreach with the youth, I can easily see the blessings that I’ve had in my life, even as a young kid growing up.”

He added: “Each and every day I truly wake up, I’m thankful to have a life and be alive. I’m thankful to do what I do.”

Harris said that while he is thankful for the blessing of playing basketball for a living, he does not rely on it for true happiness.

“I always try to make sure that the workspace that I’m in — the NBA, there’s highs and lows — but I always make sure that I never let the highs and lows truly determine my true happiness as a person,” Harris said.

“It just brings in a sense of happiness and different things,” Harris continued. “For me, I look at it like if I’m playing basketball at the NBA or if I’m a principal at a school, which is something I would love to do when my career is over, I’m going to find ways to always bring Christ out in my life.”

Harris notes that he treats every interaction as an opportunity to show the love of Christ.

“I really believe in that, and I know that has always been something that I’ve tried to embody, is to help somebody on a daily basis because we really don’t know everyone’s walk of life and what they’ve gone through,” Harris said. “Once I continue to have that type of approach, it just allowed me to truly understand and fall in love with the blessings that I have in my life: the job that I have, the family I have, the health that I have, all the way down the line. It’s been super important for my own growth and my own walk.”

In 2015, Harris echoed his sentiment during an interview with Razz and Jazz Sports.

“Any person I meet, I try to embrace them and show them love so that they know I’m a Christian,” Harris said at the time. “Jesus Christ was a loving man. And as Christians, we have to try to [model] our lives after Jesus Christ.”

In 2019, Harris donated $1 million to nine charities, the majority in the Philadelphia area.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.