"I said I didn't know if I wanted to play. He said, 'I need you" - Ron Harper on how Phil Jackson convinced him to join the Lakers

After the 1998-99 season had ended, Ron Harper had his eyes set on retirement. He already had three NBA championship rings on his resume. Harper proved he could tweak his game from an elite scorer to a defender and orchestrator.

In other words, he had nothing left to prove.

Preparing for life after basketball

Harper was lining up his post-playing activities: time with the family, golf, and rest. But just as he was about to hang up his jersey and shelve his sneakers, his old coach Phil Jackson called. The Zen Master was named head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the 1999-00 season.

The roster was led by two young stars: Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. It had a slew of role players and veterans. What it lacked was a guy with formidable championship experience. Harp was that missing piece.

“Phil told me to get off the couch [last summer] and get in basketball shape,”said Harper in 2000, via the Chicago Tribune. “I said I had some things to do. He said, ‘Do your stuff and be here.’ I said I didn’t know if I wanted to play. He said, ‘I need you.'”

Harper effect

Just like for the Chicago Bulls, Harper assumed the starting point guard role for the Lakers. On offense, his task was to run the vaunted triangle offense — a playbook he knew like the back of his hand. On defense, his 6’6″ frame gave smaller guards major headaches. He provided more than just a veteran presence. He was one of the most important players on that team.

Harp’s best performance as a Laker came in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. En route to a 103-91 victory, the 36-year-old had 18 points and seven rebounds. His contributions were pivotal, especially as the Blazers contained Kobe to 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting.

Ron’s stellar performance made him reevaluate his illustrious career. Harp also realized how fortunate he was to still be playing for a championship late in his career.

“I have faith in myself,” Harper said. “I’m very close [to retiring]. Every athlete wants to go out on his own terms, and I have a chance to leave the game on terms I want to. I told [Jackson] that.”

“But it’s an awesome feeling now. When I came into this league the only thing I could do was go out and hoop. Now I’m trying to earn championship rings and play the game of basketball, and I’m having fun doing it,” Harper said.

Perhaps Harp felt something special in the Lakers, prompting him to ink a short-term deal. Like Jackson, Harper felt the Lakers were truly on the verge of greatness. All the team needed were a few pieces and a good push.

True enough, after dispatching the Trail Blazers in a classic seven-game series, the Lakers faced the Indiana Pacers in the 2000 NBA Finals and raised the Larry O’Brien trophy after six games.

To prove it wasn’t a fluke, they did it again in a dominant 2001 NBA Playoffs campaign the following year. In his final season as a pro, Harper walked off with fifth championship rings and a place in history as one of the best role players ever.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

“I said I didn’t know if I wanted to play. He said, ‘I need you” – Ron Harper on how Phil Jackson convinced him to join the Lakers

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