Harris says PBA’s no cakewalk

MANILA, Philippines — NLEX import Manny Harris said yesterday he knew from the onset, it wouldn’t be a cakewalk playing in the PBA Governors Cup and even as the Road Warriors topped the eliminations heading into the playoffs to start Sunday, the race to the throne continues to be a grind.

“We’ll do everything we can to win it all,” said Harris who played for Cleveland, the LA Lakers and Dallas in four NBA seasons. “We play NorthPort with a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals (on Monday). We win once and we’re in the semis. That’s when my girlfriend Gabriela will come out and join me here. I never expected a cakewalk. I’m cool with the physicality in the PBA. I’ve played in China but it’s a little different in the PBA. In China, you play with two imports and in the PBA, it’s only one import. I’ve won championships in Greece and China. I’m hoping to win one in the Philippines.”

Harris, 30, played three years with the University of Michigan varsity before moving to the NBA and playing as an import in Ukraine, Turkey, China, Greece, Lithuania and finally, the Philippines. “I enjoyed Athens and Turkey was wonderful, too,” he said. “I love the Philippines. If I’m asked to come back, I most likely will. In other countries, you see stale faces. In the Philippines, you see smiling faces. I’m not just talking of basketball fans. I’m talking about how nice everyone is. It’s incredible how the fans are so passionate in supporting their favorite teams and players. I also love the weather. It’s cold in Michigan where I’m from so the warm weather in Manila is a welcome change.”

When coach Yeng Guiao benched him in the second quarter of a recent game against Magnolia, Harris said he understood why. “It wasn’t the first time I’ve been benched,” he said. “That’s basketball. I respect Coach and his decisions. We were down by 26. As a leader, I wanted to get the guys going. In the second half, we came out strong. I’m just happy I was able to contribute to the win. Coach is a chill guy. At practice, he doesn’t need to yell. He’s the type you respect because he knows what he’s doing. He’s not an ego guy. None of our coaches is. Everything’s about the team.”

Harris said he met Kiefer Ravena when they were Texas Legends teammates in the NBA D-League. “We’ve kept in touch since the D-League,” he said. “He reached out to me about playing in the PBA and I was open to it. We exchanged messages and before long, I was in the PBA.” Team manager Ronald Dulatre finalized negotiations to bring Harris over.

After playing in the PBA, Harris said he hopes to find another league to join. “No rest for me,” he said. “I want to continue playing at a high level. Will I get a chance to go back to the NBA? If it’s there, it’s there. It’s a blessing that I’m playing this game, wherever it takes me.”

In the NBA, Harris played alongside stars like Kyrie Irving, Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki. “Kobe (Bryant) was injured when I was with the Lakers so I never got to play with him,” he said. “I’ve been inspired by those players even before I got to the NBA so when I played with them, it was unbelievable. What I learned from them was respect for the game.”

Harris’ varsity coach John Beilein now calls the shots for the Cavaliers in the NBA. It would be a reunion if Beilein summons Harris to rejoin Cleveland and an experience to play with Fil-Am Jordan Clarkson. “We stay in touch,” said Harris, referring to Beilein. “I’m just happy for Coach to be in the NBA.”

The second youngest of 12, Harris said he was named Corperryale L’Adorable “maybe because my parents ran out of names.” Corperryale combines the names of his cousin Corrine, uncle Perry and siblings Janelle, Jarelle and Al. But his father James called him Manny after the hitman Manny Ribera in the 1983 movie “Scarface” since birth and it stuck.