Duke basketball center Harry Giles (Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports)
Duke Basketball: Harry Giles News So Sweet He 'Wanted to Cry'
He's dealt with knee injuries dating back to his days as the No. 1 prep in the country. And he's been out of the NBA since the 2020-21 season. But Duke basketball product Harry Giles persevered, held offseason workouts for NBA teams, earned a shot with the Brooklyn Nets in training camp, and is now a full-fledged roster member.
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"Oh, man, it was crazy, bro," the 25-year-old Giles told the New York Post's Brian Lewis about when he learned the news from Nets general manager Sean Marks during his workout over the weekend. "I called my mom when I got to the room.
"I wanted to cry when I first found out, but I was around so many people...So, once I got to the room, I just laid on the bed, and I'm like, 'Oh my God.'"
After going No. 20 overall at the 2017 NBA Draft following his one-and-done campaign with the Blue Devils, Giles spent three years with the Sacramento Kings. He sat out his first year to gain strength and confidence in his knees.
Then, he averaged 7.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game across the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons before signing with the Portland Trail Blazers for his 2020-21 campaign. He averaged only 2.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 38 outings that year, and the Trail Blazers did not re-sign him.
Harry Giles is officially a teammate to a fellow Duke basketball one-and-done in 2022-23 Blue Devil sharpshooter Dariq Whitehead.
However, Whitehead continues to recover from offseason foot surgery. He did not suit up in the preseason, but Lewis reported that he has recently "progressed to doing some two-on-two work against players and coaches."
The Nets tip off their season by hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more Duke basketball news.