Matthew Joseph Harpring (born May 31, 1976 in
Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American professional
basketball player currently with the Utah Jazz of
the National Basketball Association. He is 6 feet, 7
inches tall and weighs 230 pounds. His usual
position is small forward.
The Orlando Magic selected Harpring with the 15th
pick in the first round of the 1998 NBA Draft. In
his rookie season, he averaged 8.2 points and 4.3
rebounds per game. He started 22 of 50 games,
averaging 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds as a starter.
He was named to the 1998-99 NBA All-Rookie First
Team.
In his second year with the Magic, Harpring played
in just four games. An injury to his left ankle
sidelined him for most of the season. In August of
2000, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He
played just one season with the Cavs, averaging 11.1
points and 4.3 rebounds in 56 games. He scored a
career-high 28 points against Charlotte on March 16,
2001.
In August of 2001, the Cavs traded Harpring to the
Philadelphia 76ers. Harpring played in 81 games for
the Sixers during the 2001-02 season. He set career
highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and
blocks. For the year, he averaged 11.8 points and
7.1 rebounds per game. He scored 20 or more points
in five different games.
Harpring signed a free agent contract with the Utah
Jazz in August of 2002. Known as a smart,
hard-working player, he fit well in Utah’s offensive
system known as "the whiteout", playing alongside
superstars Karl Malone and John Stockton. Harpring
played the best basketball of his career, averaging
17.6 points per game while shooting 51.1 percent
from the floor and 41.3 percent on three-pointers.
He set a new career high with 30 points against the
Los Angeles Clippers on November 26, 2002. Three
nights later, he set another career high with 33
points against the Minnesota Timberwolves (on
November 29, 2002). He finished second in voting for
the NBA's Most Improved Player in 2002-03 (behind
Golden State's Gilbert Arenas).
Prior to the 2003-04 season, Stockton announced his
retirement and Malone left Utah to play for the Los
Angeles Lakers. Harpring was named team captain by
coach Jerry Sloan. Harpring provided leadership for
the young team, which played surprisingly well
despite the departures of Malone and Stockton.
Harpring's season ended suddenly with a knee injury
that required surgery to repair. In 31 games, he
averaged 16.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. At
the time of his injury, he was Utah's leading
scorer.
Harpring returned from his injury the following
season, but saw his role on the team reduced as
Andrei Kirilenko emerged as an All-Star at small
forward, and the Jazz added power forwards Carlos
Boozer and Mehmet Okur to the roster. In the past
four seasons, Harpring has seen action at both
forward positions, and has played significant
minutes at shooting guard as well. He has been
shifted in and out of the starting lineup, mostly
due to injuries (to himself or teammates), but
remains a key player on the team.
