Al Harrington entered the 1998 draft out of St. Patrick’s High School in Elizabeth, N.J., as a 6-foot-9-inch forward who could handle — while also playing strong down low.
The NBA made an example out of Harrington and other high schoolers by making him wait until the 25th pick.
Sixteen-years later, Harrington will retire one of just 83 players in NBA history who played more than 15 seasons in the league and one of just five – joining Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O’Neal and Rashard Lewis – who did so after jumping straight from high school.
I’m officially retired,” Harrington said. “I don’t know if there’s paperwork that I gotta fill out or anything. But my career is over.”
“I’m very happy with what I was able to accomplish,” Harrington said. “I was able to change a lot of people’s lives in my family, including myself in a game that I eventually fell in love with and will always be in love with. And hopefully I can stay around the game until I die. It was a fun ride. It went by fast, too. It was like one minute I was 18, the next I was 25 then was 30 and now I’m 35. It was a fun run. Met a lot of great people.”
Harrington wants to stay in the nba — either as a coach or in a teams front office.