Tony Harris (basketball, born 1970)

Tony Lee Harris (November 18, 1970 – circa. November 9, 2007[1]) was an American basketball player from Seattle, Washington who played for professionally in Asia, Europe, and Brazil. In 2007, Harris was reportedly found dead in Brazil, after disappearing two weeks earlier.

For Tony Harris of the Boston Celtics, see Tony Harris (basketball, born 1967).

Biography

Harris attended Garfield High School in Seattle and played for Washington State University. While at Garfield, his team made the state finals, and while at WSU the team reached the east regionals of the NCAA tournament.[2]

After working as a counselor in Seattle, he returned to Brazil in 2007 to play for Universo BRB, a basketball team in the capital of Brazil, Brasília.[3] His wife last heard from him on November 4, when he was apparently trying to take a taxi from one city to another. Brazilian media reported that teammates said he was acting strangely and he was said to have been sighted in Bezerra, a city near Brasília, on foot and asking for money.[3] Brazilian wire service EFE reported that he took a taxi to Goiânia, then another taxi to the state of Rio Grande do Norte.[4] Somewhere in Bahia, though, he jumped from the moving vehicle and ran off. Another account had him disappearing while the driver refueled, leaving his luggage in the vehicle.[5]

According to the wire service, he had shown "mental imbalances", and claimed that other teammates were harassing him.[4] His wife reported that he had "feared for his life" and told her of rumors "involving himself", and though he wanted to leave the country, his passport was in custody of team management. She also said that his credit card issuer had reported several unsuccessful attempts to use his card.[5]

On November 18, 2007, officials from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that his body had been found in an "outdoor location" some 50 miles east of Brasília;[6] later reports specified Formosa in the state of Goiás.[5] He was said to have been found with a shoelace wrapped around his neck, and one report said he was hanging from a tree.[1][6] Other reports indicated he was in a vacant lot in the city.[5]

Harris's wife's stepfather and a friend had traveled to Brazil before the body was found.[5]

References
  1. "The last days of Tony Harris", ESPN, Retrieved on January 9, 2008
  2. "FBI: Brazil police say former WSU basketball star's body found". Bellingham Herald. Associated Press. November 18, 2007. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2007.
  3. Robert L. Jameson, Jr. (November 15, 2007). "Search widens for missing Seattle basketball star". Seattle Times. Retrieved November 18, 2007.
  4. "¿Dónde está Tony Lee Harris?" (in Spanish). ESPN. November 10, 2007. Retrieved November 18, 2007.
  5. Paul Shukovsky (November 18, 2007). "Ex-WSU basketball star reported dead in Brazil". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved November 19, 2007.
  6. Steve Miletich and Lynda V. Mapes (November 18, 2007). "Body of former WSU hoops star Harris believed found in Brazil". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on November 20, 2007. Retrieved November 18, 2007.
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