‘It’s time to turn it up’

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/07/2025 (406 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jalen Harris dribbled past then Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic to the basket to finish with a finger roll off the glass.

The bucket gave the rookie Toronto Raptors guard 31 points on the night in what ended up being a hard-fought 114-110 road loss on May 14, 2021.

That’s no easy feat for a first-year player, never mind one that was drafted in the second round, 59th overall.

Making it even more special was the fact that Harris, who hails from Dallas and grew up idolizing Mavs legends like Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley, had his family in a suite to witness his NBA coming out party in person.

“It was kind of what you dream about,” Harris, now a member of the Winnipeg Sea Bears, told the Free Press after Monday’s practice at Canada Life Centre.

“I knew going in, we had some guys out, and it was the end of the year and whatnot. And I felt like, honestly, I should’ve been drafted earlier. The Mavericks had a good pick that could’ve went my way… So, going into the game, I had a chip on my shoulder.”

Harris only played 13 games with the Raptors, but he had shown enough to make people think that the organization had uncovered yet another diamond in the rough. But less than two months after his memorable performance, he was hit with a one-year ban for violating terms of the NBA/NBPA (National Basketball Players Association) anti-drug program.

“I feel like that’s life. A lot of unexpected stuff happens, random things out of your control sometimes, and you just do what you can to move past it,” said Harris.

Harris has done just that. He’s played in Italy, Puerto Rico and China, but it’s the Canadian Elite Basketball League where he’s made the biggest name for himself. Prior to joining the Sea Bears this summer, he spent 2022 and some of 2023 with the Scarborough Shooting Stars, and last year with the Saskatchewan Rattlers where he set the CEBL single-game scoring record with 45 points against Brampton.

He’s been putting up impressive numbers in Winnipeg as well as he’s second on the team in scoring with 19.1 points, while also adding 4.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 10 contests, which has several NBA teams interested in his services.

Most recently, Harris helped the Sea Bears (6-9) to a 94-70 win last Friday in Saskatoon with 19 points. They play the Calgary Surge (10-5) at home on Thursday at 7 p.m.

“Last week he came into my office and wanted to talk about the offence, and a lot of guys in that position will talk about their shots and running plays for them. But he had a very external perspective, a team perspective, and I thought that spoke volumes for his maturity and his engagement level here,” said Sea Bears head coach Mike Taylor.

“I think he’s handled his adversity very well and is focusing on what he can control… I’ve really just enjoyed working with him and I think the future is still bright. As a 26-year-old player, he seems mature beyond all his years from all these experiences.”

Getting back to the NBA is the goal, but Harris is leaving that to his agent to figure out.

“I wouldn’t say I have a message (to NBA teams). I would just say check out the games. I feel like I go out and I’m growing. My game is growing, as well as my role as a leader, and my maturation. So, I’m just kind of banking on those things,” said Harris.

He’s not looking past the next month and a half, though. The Sea Bears have nine more regular season tilts until they host the final four championship weekend Aug. 22-24.

“It’s time to turn it up,” said Harris. “We got a tough stretch of games coming up, with lots of good teams in the West. We’re trying to turn it up now and peak at the right time.”

SEA BEARS SIGN CANADIAN FORWARD

Maurice Calloo doesn’t need a name tag.

The newest member of the Sea Bears — a 6-10 forward from Windsor, Ont., who officially signed with the club on Monday — has history with nearly every member of the team.

Starting off with 14-year-old AAU basketball, he played with Winnipegger Emmanuel Akot. Then in high school, Calloo attended the prestigious Oak Hill Academy in Virginia — where Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant played before reaching NBA superstardom — with Sea Bears point guard Will Richardson. With the Calgary Surge in 2023, he played with Sea Bears centre Simi Shittu and forward Trevon Scott. Last year, with the Rattlers, he suited up with Jalen Harris and Cody John.

He also has a connection to veteran Canadian guard Alex Campbell.

“Lex went to the University of Windsor. He was there when I was a little kid, I was probably (in) Grade 7 or 8, so I ended up always running into him at the university just being that kid, trying to get my game right. And he’d always help me,” Calloo said after Monday’s practice at Canada Life Centre.

“We’ve all been family. Every last one of these guys that I named, I always kept in contact with them throughout my whole basketball journey. Us seeing each other again is a reunion. It’s gonna be good, I see the vision.”

The 26-year-old played 10 games with the Rattlers and averaged 14.1 points and 6.2 rebounds. Following the season, he scored a workout with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers where he ended up tearing his meniscus. A few months after, he signed with a club in Azerbaijan but wasn’t fully healthy. He returned home before taking his talents to Lebanon in January where he scored 19 points in his one and only appearance before a rolled ankle took him out. His last action came in March where he saw limited playing time in seven games in Mexico with Zonkeys de Tijuana.

“I’ve just been keeping my head down, thinking about the main goal of getting back healthy and that’s me right now,” said Calloo.

The Sea Bears have struggled mightily all season with getting production from their bench. Taylor thinks Calloo — a player he’s been pursuing for three years — is a type of talent that can help change that.

“When we ran it by some of the guys the idea of signing Mo, everyone was really, really happy about it,” said Taylor.

“I think he’s a guy that can stretch the floor as a big man. He’s got great shooting ability and he can handle the ball and pass… He gives us another versatile athlete, a nice piece to play different positions.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca