By Mike Moguin

A proud moment for Bixby basketball player Isaac Harris is obvious.

“Earning a spot on the varsity as a freshman,” he said. 

Becoming a starter on any sports team as a ninth-grader is a privilege well-earned, and that is a role Harris will be in as the Spartans take the court this winter. He was informed by first-year coach Jordan Nagel that he would be among the “starting five” at the beginning of the school year. 

But despite getting a starting role as an underclassman, Harris says he has more to prove. 

“I felt like the job wasn’t done,” he said. “I need to work harder because I know I’m going to play against older kids who are quicker and stronger, so I need to get into the gym and get stronger, faster, and perform.”

Harris said that he likes Nagel’s coaching style.

“I like him a lot,” Harris said. “He is hard on us. He makes us better. He helps us to do the right thing.”

Playing the game has taught Harris “discipline and a consistent hard work ethic,” he said. 

Like most people in Oklahoma, Harris and his family are fans of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, and Shea Gilgeous Alexander is his favorite player in the league. He’ll go to at least four games per season with his father, Fabian Sr., and sometimes older brother, Fabian Jr., who is a senior at Tulsa Memorial. 

He recalls some of his most memorable experiences there.

“I remember one time, it was a really close game. Chet Holmgren was on the free throw to win the game. It was really intense,” Harris said. “I was with my older brother, and he (Holmgren) knocked down some free throws. It was a good experience, and we (Thunder) won.”

During Oklahoma City’s championship run, Harris did get to attend a first-round playoff series game against Memphis. He has also had a jersey signed by Gilgeous-Alexander.

“I was happy. It was the first time they had won an NBA title,” Harris said. “I was so happy for them that they did it.”

His favorite college basketball teams are Kansas and Duke. He liked the latter mostly because of Cooper Flagg, who impacted the Blue Devils’ trip to the Final Four last season but is now with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. But he likes some of the players on Duke as well. 

Harris is inspired by his parents because “they sacrifice a lot for me and my brother to play sports,” he said. He likes Mrs. Qualls from Bixby Middle School as his favorite teacher. “She taught me a lot, and she is a very nice person,” he added. 

When asked what is the best advice anyone has ever given him was, he said it is to “play hard and have fun,” Harris said.

Harris also likes fishing and admires fast cars as hobbies.

“I’d like to give a shout-out to my teammates and coaching staff for believing in me,” he said.

 Follow him on Instagram @isaacharris08 and on X @isaacharris24