LeBron James’ favorite Illinois basketball surprise redshirt

Illinois basketball fans didn’t see Senator Harris take the court in Illinois’ season-opening win over Eastern Illinois.

Harris’ absence was not due to injury or being on the bench. Instead, Harris will redshirt in the 2023-24 season; coach Brad Underwood said the move was Harris’ decision, the Champaign Chamber reported.

Harris played in all 33 Illinois basketball games as a freshman last season, starting seven. He averaged 3.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.

“He’s a really good player,” Underwood said. “One of the things he’s learned about his development is he needs to get stronger, he needs to get bigger.”

Underwood recently had Terrence Shannon Jr. and Coleman Hawkins out of the 2023 NBA Draft to return to Illinois basketball.

Notably, Harris attended St. Vincent St. Mary High School, a Catholic high school in Akron, Ohio, famous for being the high school of Lakers star LeBron James. In May 2013, James donated $1 million to the school to renovate the basketball court. The project includes the installation of a new basketball court, scoreboard, locker rooms and bleachers. The number of seats has also increased from 1,600 to 1,831.

Now renamed LeBron James Arena, it is also home to the Akron Pilots of the National Basketball Association.

When Harris decided to commit to the Illinois basketball team, James weighed in on social media, sharing his excitement for the incoming freshman.

Harris released a statement on social media on Monday night, saying: “Thank you all for respecting my decision to redshirt for basketball games. Your understanding and support means the world to me. Know that you all respect And supporting this choice allows me to focus on my personal growth and development and being with my team during this time.”