In a piece for The Players’ Tribune, Montrezl Harrell states he practically punched Paul George in the NBA bubble. 

Harrell and George were colleagues on the Los Angeles Clippers, who blew a 3-1 result in the Denver Nuggets in the 2nd round of the 2020 playoffs. 

Harrell left the bubble after his granny passed away. When he returned, he wasn’t himself. 

“I get back — we’re basically in the playoffs,” Harrell composed. “Fast forward, and we’re in the middle of a video game versus Denver. We established a play. Everybody states they’re changing one through 5 type shit. Everybody understands protection. Then in the video game, the scenario comes. It’s in the pick-and-roll with PG, Jamal Murray, Jokić, and me. Screen comes, I scream, ‘Switch!’ We change it. He still battles over the screen. Jokić slips down the middle of the lane — boom — shoots and understands. Doc calls a time-out easily.

“On the method over to the huddle, I state, ‘Bro, that’s a switch, P.’ He’s like, ‘No, I thought—’ And I’m like, ‘Bro, ain’t no I believed.’ I stated, ‘It’s a switch, brother. Everybody in this shit understands the protection however you.’ He resembled, ‘Hey, who are you talking to?’ 

“OK, time-out — I’m basic. Real motherfucker. That’s why a great deal of individuals, I believe, don’t like me. At completion of the day, everyone’s out here in between these lines due to the fact that we’re attempting to, one, feed our household, however, 2 do some shit for the group, for the company, for the city. Real talk. I returned to the Bubble for this, after needing to bury my grandmother in the ground, brother. The individual who raised me, the factor I play this video game. I was so screwed up psychologically, more than I even understood. Alright, with that in mind…. I informed P ideal then and there, in front of coaches and everyone, ‘I will knock you the fuck out, bro. You’re trippin’. You was incorrect, brother. You’re WRONG.’ 

“I can look back on that now and realize I went too far in the heat of the moment. I realize this is a business and you can’t talk like that to the star player. But when you’re going through grief, you only see what’s right in front of you.”

Harrell signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2020-21 season. He won the 2019-20 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award with the Clippers, who have actually never ever made the NBA Finals in franchise history. 

Harrell missed out on the whole 2023-24 season recuperating from an ACL injury. He’s presently an unlimited complimentary representative. 

One of the leading scorers in the NBA, George left the Clippers this offseason for the Philadelphia 76ers.