Often in the shadows behind superstarts Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson while with the Warriors, Harrison Barnes is adjusting to the spotlight as a feature player for the Mavericks this year.
"It took me a little bit of time getting used to it," Barnes said, according to DallasNews.com. "I used to duck the media a lot when I was at Golden State. And you have to face the tough questions. When the team is doing well, it's easy to get in front of the cameras and talk about the team's success. But when you're struggling, you got to take that responsibility as a leader of the team and answer those questions, every single night.
Barnes, who received a max four-year, $95 million contract from Dallas this offseason, is averaging career highs in points (20.3), rebounds (5.6) and minutes (36.4) this year.
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"Dallas was the right thing for me from the day I signed here," Barnes said. "You know, I'm happy to be in this process, in this challenge, every single night - pushed out of my comfort zone to become a better basketball player. And I'm excited for what the future has in store."
Barnes, 24, is excited about the future, but he recognizes how special his past was with the Warriors.
"No question," he said. "There's a lot of history there. That's where it all started for me. We won a championship there. It's always going to be nice to go back.
"But when the ball's thrown up, it's time to compete."