Family Man Al Harrington Playing Much Better By Staying Healthy

DENVER (CBS4) - The Denver Nuggets' most veteran player is also the team's third leading scorer -- a family man by the name of Al Harrington, who says he's playing much better because he's been healthy so far this season.

"Last year I just couldn't get healthy. I had so many different ailments going on -- both feet, my back; I dislocated my thumb in my shooting hand," Harrington said. "It was just a tough season."

Forward Ty Lawson told CBS4's Vic Lombardi Harrington went through a vigorous offseason workout program.

"I dedicated myself to the weight room. Usually I always just work on basketball stuff and my body has come in second … but this time I've made that my priority and basketball is second; and it's just made all the difference in the world to me," Harrington said.

This offseason Harrington participated in what's called the Spartan Race on Staten Island in New York. It's described as a race that takes place on a brutal obstacle course.

"I was looking for something to do. Obviously just playing pick-up was getting boring. So I heard about this obstacle course race and I heard it was an 8-mile run. I've probably never run 3 miles before in my life."

Harrington completed the whole 8 miles.

"It was a wet, rainy day. So there was a lot of mud and we were running on the beach, and so it was a tough race to finish."

There's a video that's gone viral of Harrington in a boxing ring knocking out a sports reporter.

"I actually hit him but I didn't hit him as hard as he acted I had," he said. "The first couple of times he didn't want me to touch him, so I kept fake punching him … I actually did hit him, but I didn't hit him that hard."

Harrington went to the NBA straight out of high school in 1998. He said if he had to do it all over again he wouldn't change a thing.