Jan 22, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) warms up on the court prior to the game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Detroit Pistons Veteran Defends Several NBA Stars on Viral Post

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Feb 20, 2025 6:49 PM ET

Earlier this week, the popular NBA-centric X social media account @TheDunkCentral looked to engage with hoops fans by asking which player out of four needs to “go.”

Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris was included in the question on the post, which generated over five million impressions in two days.

There were nearly 2,000 replies and over 1,000 reposts. Among the reposts with a reply was Harris himself, who came to the defense of Klay Thompson, Bradley Beal, and Paul George.

via @tobias31: Go where? Everyone in this photo set for life.

Go where? Everyone in this photo set for life. https://t.co/BVPrsI7v9j
— τobias Harris (@tobias31) February 19, 2025

It’s not hard to tell why these players were being compared. As they are among some of the highest-paid veterans in the NBA, they have each received criticism for being overpaid at one point.

Harris, specifically, received plenty of negative attention during his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers as he played on a max contract that he signed in 2019.

Paul George knows that situation well, as he’s currently in the first year of his major deal with the 76ers and struggling to live up to the expectations that the contract brought.

A guy like Harris makes it known the outside noise shouldn’t affect these players, along with himself. They were offered their current and past deals for a reason.

After wrapping up a five-year deal worth $180 million with the Sixers, Harris earned a generous $52 million contract to help the Pistons turn things around over two seasons. The numbers haven’t earned him an All-Star nod, but the Pistons have made it very clear that Harris has brought a ton of value to the team that doesn’t show in the numbers all the time.

This article first appeared on Detroit Pistons on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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