Denver
Coaches and teammates marvel at the daily regimen NBA veteran Harrison Barnes follows to keep his body ready for the rigors of an 82-game season.
The 30-year-old Kings forward played all 82 games this season for the second time in his career — eight years after doing it the first time — while running his consecutive games streak to 140.
“If people saw him every day, his routine, his schedule, it’s not surprising,” Kings guard Kevin Huerter said. “The guy’s a pro. First one in the building every day. Taking care of his body. He’s just super consistent, both his off-the-court work and his on-the-court work.”
Barnes has played a big role in leading Sacramento back to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. The Kings will play Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday at Golden 1 Center.
Barnes is averaging 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 47.1% from the field and 36.7% from 3-point range. He appeared in all 82 games this season and has played 140 consecutive games dating back to Dec. 8, 2021.
“It means a lot,” Barnes said. “I just thank God for blessing me with great health, but obviously the coaching staff for managing my minutes throughout the season; my personal performance coach, Cade Jones; the entire Kings medical staff from Jas Randhawa, Joel Noland, Nick Taylor, all those guys that just help me every single day keep my body right and keep me out there.”
Kings coach Mike Brown said the team’s younger players are fortunate to have Barnes, who is always willing to share his secrets to longevity.
“I tell everyone all the time, the same way you approach the court is the same way you should approach the weight room, same way you should approach treatment,” Barnes said. “It’s all encompassing. Having the ability to be out there for your teammates is one of the biggest things you can have. You can be the best player in the world, but if you’re always hurt, you can’t show it, so you try to get these guys to continue to do that, and a lot of these guys are taking it seriously.”
This story was originally published April 10, 2023 10:01 AM.
