Fox Sports has an amazing long-form piece on a former Harlem Globetrotter who mysteriously vanished. It’s part of their continuing series reviving the art of long sports journalism.
Here’s the preview:
Rico Harris was a prep high school star in Southern California, once rated as one of the best players in the Western U.S. along with future NBAers Paul Pierce, Chauncey Billups and Jason Terry. But after struggling in college and battling addiction, Harris’ life took a downturn. He washed out of basketball — even played a brief stint as a Harlem Globetrotter — and spent the years after school dealing with addiction and working various jobs.
In 2014, Harris relocated with his girlfriend to Seattle. In October, he drove the 1,100 miles from Seattle back down to Southern California to visit his mother in Alhambra. After a brief stay, he turned right around and headed back to Seattle. But he never made it there. His car was found in a wooded area outside Sacramento on Oct. 14, but Harris wasn’t around. Over two months later, Harris is still missing without explanation.
Flinder Boyd interviews Harris’ mother, girlfriend, several of his past associates, and the detective on the case in Yolo (yes, Yolo) County, CA to paint a picture of the man and the mysterious turn in the tale of Rico Harris.
Here’s the link to the story.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2