Steve Harris obit

Former TU basketball player Steve Harris dies

 He was not on the list.

Steve Harris, who came from Blue Springs, Missouri to The University of Tulsa in 1981 and became an All-America basketball player for the Golden Hurricane, passed away Monday from a long illness. He lived in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, with his wife Harriet, daughter Brittany and son Justin.

Nicknamed "Silk" by the late KJRH sports director Jerry Webber, Harris played four years and totaled 2,272 points, 428 rebounds, 243 assists and 271 steals in 122 career games for the Hurricane. He was a "silky" smooth shooter, making 55-percent of his field goals and 85-percent of his free throws, and ended his career as the school's all-time scoring leader.

Harris was a second-team All-America selection by the United Press International and a third-team performer by the Basketball Times as a senior. He earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors three times and led Tulsa in scoring his final three seasons, while also leading Tulsa to three NCAA tournament appearances.

Harris scored in double figures in 109 of 122 games, and scored over 20 points in 53 games and more than 30 points nine times. He was voted as the MVC Newcomer of the Year in the 1981-82 season, and in 1985 was a first round draft choice of the NBA's Houston Rockets.

Harris' Tulsa jersey #20 is retired and he was inducted into The University of Tulsa's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.

Steven Dwayne Harris (October 15, 1963 – February 22, 2016) was an American professional basketball player who was selected by the Houston Rockets in the first round (19th pick overall) of the 1985 NBA draft. A 6'5" shooting guard from the University of Tulsa, Harris played in five NBA seasons from 1985 to 1990.

He played a career total of 207 NBA games with the Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers, scoring 1,440 points. His best year as a professional came during the 1987–88 season, when he split time with the Rockets and Warriors, appearing in 58 games and averaging 9.2 ppg.

Harris died of colon cancer on February 22, 2016, at the age of 52.

 

Personal information

Born    October 15, 1963

Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.

Died    February 22, 2016 (aged 52)

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, U.S.

Listed height   6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)

Listed weight  195 lb (88 kg)

Career information

High school     Blue Springs

(Blue Springs, Missouri)

College            Tulsa (1981–1985)

NBA draft        1985: 1st round, 19th overall pick

Drafted by       Houston Rockets

Playing career 1985–1991

Position           Shooting guard

Number           20, 11, 35

Career history

1985–1987      Houston Rockets

1987–1988      Golden State Warriors

1988–1989      Detroit Pistons

1989–1990      Columbus Horizon

1990    Los Angeles Clippers

1990–1991      Columbus Horizon

Career highlights

Second-team All-American – UPI (1985)

3× First-team All-MVC (1983–1985)

No. 20 retired by Tulsa Golden Hurricane