When Ivan Harris gives a guarantee, take it to the bank.
The basketball star sat down for his first meeting with the coaching and administrative staff at the Melton Basketball Association this time last year and promised to deliver them a championship.
Although that declaration was initially laughed off, Harris was in no way joking.
True to his word, the 31-year-old played a major role in the Thoroughbreds lifting the Big V division 1 championship after sweeping Latrobe in the finals.
“That was my first goal – to win a championship,” Harris recalled.
“That is what every player plays for and wants to achieve. When I came here I told them, I expressed it … that with my passion for basketball that we were going to win it.
“I thought coming to Melton would be a great opportunity. We had a great team and before I came on board they had all played together the previous year. They just needed an extra piece and that was me.”
Harris’ confidence came from a glittering high school and college basketball career in the US.
He attended Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, the same school that has helped develop household names such as Sacramento Kings point guard Rajon Rondo and New York Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony.
Harris graduated as an All American and was joined in the representative side by LeBron James and Chris Paul.
“That was a great experience for me,” Harris said. “Playing in high school at the No.1 school in the nation was an amazing opportunity.
“We stayed in a dorm … it has all the pictures back to 1970 to the present of all the players that have played at Oak Hill Academy.
“I never knew so many of those guys were in the NBA. I became All American so my name is up there on the wall as well.”
After a four-year stint representing US college Ohio State, where he played alongside Greg Oden and Mike Conley, Harris went on to play in the NBA’s development league with Cleveland, Atlanta, Dallas and Oklahoma.
The power forward has also played professionally in Finland, Japan, Canada and Romania.
After years of travelling the world, Harris is turning his attention to his next basketball goal.
Working with his partner, Francesca, the Williamstown resident has established the Ivan Harris Basketball Academy with the aim of passing on the lessons he has learnt to a new generation.
Academy players work closely with Harris and his team of experienced coaches with the goal of being assessed by American college recruiters.
Harris said he had always had a passion for working with children, which began while he was growing up in Atlanta.
“Before I came to Australia I had a group home for boys,” he explained.
“We had this big old house where they would come with us and we taught them how to become a man and the right way to live your life. We tried to show them guidance.
“I always wanted to have some kind of facility where they could go and play any type of sport.”
As well as his coaching duties, Harris is also concentrating on trying to bring a second championship to Melton.
The Thoroughbreds have kept their 2015 squad together and added Jason Todorov, who joins the club following an impressive South East Australian Basketball League career for Nunawading.
“I’m really looking forward to defending our championship,” Harris said.
“That is all we keep talking about. Everyone is focused and working hard to capture another championship.
“We got the same guys back and a couple of new players.
I think everyone’s main focus is about winning this again.”
Melton will begin pre-season training this month.
Anyone seeking more information about the Ivan Harris Basketball Academy should visit: www.hoopstarsacademy.com.au.
