San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes has won the latest Western Conference Player of the Week honor in a huge blast from the past for NBA fans.

The North Carolina product has had a huge week, averaging 22.3 points on 61.8 percent shooting and 8.7 rebounds to lead the Spurs to three straight wins. Barnes’ form surge was a byproduct of Victor Wembanyama‘s three-game absence, which forced the 6-foot-8 forward to take on more offensive responsibilities.

Barnes has become the first Spur to earn the honor since DeMar DeRozan in 2019-20. Milwaukee Bucks star and two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo claimed the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week award.

Barnes’ recognition caught countless NBA fans by surprise, with the Spurs forward rarely making the headlines since leaving the Golden State Warriors in 2016. “Thought they were trolling when I saw Harrison Barnes won player of the week LMAO that’s crazy man,” one wrote. Another added, “HARRISON BARNES IN 2024 LMAOOOOO.”

Meanwhile, a third said: “Harrison Barnes was not a make I was expecting to see,” while one added, “Didn’t even know Harrison Barnes was still in the league lmaooo.”

Barnes made a name for himself during the early days of the Warriors dynasty, starting for Golden State alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green for most of his first four years in the NBA. In 2015, he won a championship with the Dubs – the first of the franchise’s four hips won during the Splash Brothers era.

Harrison Barnes #40 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after he scored a basket against the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Frost Bank Center on November 23, 2024

Barnes averaged almost 23 points while helping the Spurs to a 3-0 record over the past week

Barnes has enjoyed much less spotlight since his Warriors departure, which came when he signed a four-year, $94 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2016 offseason. The former No. 7 overall pick has been traded twice since then, landing on the Sacramento Kings during the 2018-19 campaign before they shipped him to the Spurs last summer.

While known for his 3-point shooting since his Warriors days, Barnes proved he could be a strong scoring option only after leaving Golden State. He averaged 19.0 points in his first two seasons with the Mavericks, being Dallas’ highest-scorer until Luka Doncic’s arrival in 2018.

Barnes logged 11.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in his first 17 games of the season, shooting 52 percent from the field and 43.9 percent for 3.