Harry Giles III

Harry Giles III's Biography

Harry Lee Giles III, born on April 22, 1998, is an American professional basketball player currently famed for his association with the Shanxi Loongs, a renowned team in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Giles is known for his incredible playing skills and contribution to the game when he played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils.

Giles embarked on his basketball career at Wesleyan Christian Academy, situated in High Point, North Carolina, under the guidance of Coach Keith Gatlin. Even during his nascent stage, Giles was a prodigious player, averaging 12.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game as a freshman, thereby leading Wesleyan Christian to secure victory in the NCISAA 3A State Championship in 2013.

Despite having to miss an entire season in his sophomore year due to a knee injury, Giles resumed his career in the summer of 2014. Alongside his team, CP3, Giles participated in the Under Armour Elite 24 game in Brooklyn, New York, adding to his fame by scoring 16 points and securing 11 rebounds, setting highly competitive standards. Giles made an astonishing recovery, securing the Co-MVP honors.

In his junior year, the potential-packed player led Wesleyan to attain the rank of the No. 2 team in the country by USA Today. Giles continued to showcase his prowess by scoring a whopping 38 points with 19 rebounds in the second match upon his return. Giles’s contribution to his team was pivotal in ending the 46-game winning streak of Mater Dei at the City of Palms Classic, where he scored 29 points to secure a 67-62 win.

The ensuing tournament saw Giles and Wesleyan beating the Word of God Christian Academy with Giles’s 31 points and 17 rebounds and emerging as undisputed champions. Giles’s duet play with future NBA players Jamal Murray and Thon Maker featuring for an Orangeville Prep team is also worth remarking. Despite the strong competition, Wesleyan clinched a 78-75 victory with Giles’s 26 points and 14 rebounds countering Maker’s 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Giles’s performance during his junior season was met with recognition and applause. Giles had an average score of 23.9 points per game, 12.5 rebounds per game, 2.0 assist per game, and 3.0 blocks per game leading the Wesleyan Trojans to a (30-5) record. Despite his injuries, Giles was not deterred from playing basketball and continued his commitment to the game in a striking manner.

Before launching his senior season, Giles chose to attend Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, one of the powerhouses of high school basketball. However, this tenure too was marked by a setback when Giles suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in a scrimmage game. Fortunately, Giles enrolled at Forest Trail Academy in Kernersville, North Carolina, where he completed his high school courses online while rehabilitating from his injury.

In 2015, Giles made a commitment to join Duke University and play for their team, the Duke Blue Devils. However, his injuries prevented him from playing in the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.

Giles had always been considered a five-star recruit and the best high-school prospect of the 2016 class, cementing his position as the No.1 overall recruit and No.1 power forward in the 2016 high school class by ESPN. However, despite being considered a promising player, Giles’s contribution in the 2016-17 season was hampered by a knee surgery, restricting him to appear in just 26 games and average a mere 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

After his freshman season, Giles decided to take a leap in his basketball journey and enter into the professional arena of the NBA by forgoing his last three years of collegiate eligibility. The Portland Trail Blazers selected Giles in the 2017 NBA draft, with his rights traded to the Sacramento Kings on draft night. However, Giles had to sit out the basketball season due to another injury, postponing his NBA debut to 2018.

Giles’s debut was marked by a score of 2 points in a 123-117 season-opening loss against the Utah Jazz. Despite this setback, Giles developed himself over the years, recording a career-high 20 points and 7 rebounds in a 135-113 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in January 2019. Although Giles joined the Portland Trail Blazers in 2020, he was unable to stay in the NBA and had to move to the Chinese Basketball Association in 2024, signing with the Shanxi Loongs.

Besides his career in basketball, Giles also represented Team USA at the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Greece. When off the court, Giles spends time with his family, comprising his parents, Harry and Melissa Giles, one brother, and three sisters. Harry Giles II, his father, was also an athlete who played both college basketball and football at Winston-Salem State University. Remarkably, Giles shares a close friendship with Jayson Tatum, his former teammate from Duke and current NBA player. Together, these relationships have provided a strong personal and professional support system for Giles throughout his basketball journey.