Pistons' Drummond, Jackson tease Harris for meditating
Tobias Harris' teammates won't let him zen out in peace.
The Detroit Pistons forward has been trying to better himself. He's eating healthier, sleeping more, and even took up yoga and meditation.
Following a recent win in Milwaukee, Harris meditated on the plane to New York - which confused some of his teammates.
"I was on the plane meditating, because I do meditation after the game for about 10 minutes," the 24-year-old recalled to David Aldridge of NBA.com. "Andre (Drummond) and Reggie (Jackson), they was laughing, because they didn't know what I was doing.
"So I had to explain to them that I meditate after the game. I'm telling my body that it's time to relax, time to let the game go and get ready for bed and get ready for the next day."
Harris uses an app on his phone throughout the day to help him with everything from focus, balance, and sleep. That has allowed him to zone in and play better defense, as requested by head coach Stan Van Gundy.
Van Gundy had also challenged Harris, who joined Detroit ahead of February's trade deadline, to improve his lateral quickness. In addition to speed drills, practicing yoga has paid off in that regard, as it makes him more flexible, allowing him get lower in his stance.
"I feel my base, my leg base is a lot better in the post versus bigger guys, and that's been a key for us," he said.
In all, Harris' unique approach to good health and becoming a better hooper seems to be working so far. He's averaging a career-high 17.9 points on 52.7 percent shooting, to go along with 4.6 boards and 1.3 assists for the 4-3 Pistons.
He's been posting some deep quotes on social media to boot: