Montrezl Harrell doesn’t duck facing things head on.
Not on the court. Not off it. And especially not when it comes to telling his truth.
These days, the former 20202 NBA Sixth Man of the Year recipient is rebuilding — not from scratch, but from scars. Overseas stints in Australia, Puerto Rico and China helped him find something the NBA nearly stripped from him: peace. And now, in 2025, he’s stepping into the BIG3, not for show — but for redemption.
Ahead of the BIG 3’s Season beginning this weekend in Chicago, I caught up with Harrell by phone to discuss tons.
In our Q & A, Harrell discussed everything imaginable: his time with the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, the NBA Bubble, playing overseas, Doc Rivers & tons more.
Here’s the scoop:
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: How excited are you to be playing in the BIG3 this year?
Montrezl Harrell: I’m really excited, man! It’s a league that’s constantly growing over the years. I’ve watched it for a numerous amount of years since the start of it to see it just completely grow into what it is today and this is one of the most high impact ones I think that they’ve been all year, and I’m honored to be a part of it and succeed and see what the summer holds.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: How excited are you to go back to the NBL in Australia?
Montrezl Harrell: It’s a blessing. It’s a place where I was able to go and be able to fall back in love with the game of basketball and just be where people appreciate me and not judge me for just being who I am, man — and that’s a player that comes in and plays hard and just leaves it all over the floor. Yeah I wear my emotions on my sleeve on the court but, that’s just what it is, man. It’s on the court. You gotta play with passion and play with the love of the game and actually love what you’re doing. That’s all it is when it comes to me and they’ve embraced me and accepted me for that and it’s been amazing, man! So to be able to come down there right after my injury and just…. Just being able to be in a humbling experience and just being able to be loved and appreciated for like I said, what I do on the court and what I can do, it was a blessing, man. So just to be right down there and just to be with the same organization that really saw me and how much they really wanted me throughout the whole time from the season ending to us getting a deal done and being back there with ‘em for a full year and seeing what I can do, man …. It’s gonna be a lot of fun.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: How was your time playing in Puerto Rico?
Montrezl Harrell: That was a month. It was a great experience. I’ve been all over the world, man this whole entire year. This being my real first year of playing since tearing my knee up and like I said, it’s been a blessing with every opportunity that I came across. I started out in Australia. Left Australia and went over to China and played for two months to be on a playoff team over there; left from over there and went down to Puerto Rico with a deal with a person that understood that I had the BIG3 coming up and they wanted me to come out there and help them pile on some more games to win and that pushed them to the playoffs and it was a blessing. It was dope, it was a new experience; a new place where I can obviously look at as another opportunity to further more of my basketball career and it’s another place where the fans actually support the game of basketball. For it to be a league that’s been around for so many years you can actually see it with the fans and the way that they come out fired up about the game of basketball, man. And it was a great experience and it was fun. I enjoyed it and I can definitely see myself going back there and playing again.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Many say that the BIG 3 is for retired players. You’re 31 years old. Do you have a desire to return to the NBA?
Montrezl Harrell: Listen… the NBA is something that I would definitely love to go back to but at the end of the day, where I’m at in my life you gotta understand that I’ve had a great career and the way that the game looks at it when it comes to the NBA game, once you have an injury they start to write you off. And so what it happened that my injury was my knee with my ACL and my meniscus, it was basically to the point where they [the 76ers] wrote me off and I don’t have any control over that, man… but I do have control over my life and what I feel like I still have to give this game and I know that I’m nowhere near done. It’s not really up to me. I feel like that I have to go out here and kill myself for y’all to know what I bring to this game and know what type of player I am. Yes I had a knee injury, but this isn’t the old times. The way that the game is now with the different type of doctors they have; everything that they have since back when people used to do that is not that to this day and I went on a tremendous training with my rehab, I was able to get cleared and back on the court before the NBA season actually was over! I just knew me as a player how I played, I wasn’t in any shape to help any team in the playoff run. But I was cleared before the NBA season was even up but like I said, with these types of injuries, that’s just how they look at you and write you off, man. But at the end of the day I’ma play with the love of basketball and like I said, I know I still have a lot of years left on my body and still left to give to this game but at the same time I’m NOT about to go out and kill myself out and be underappreciated to the point where it’s like, I’m starting to look at the game like, Bro, do I really even want to come into work? Because I’ve had those days when I was playing with the Sixers and the way that they handle business and the way they did me in that situation there I had days where I walked into the gym and I HATED being in the gym and that’s just not the player that I am. That’s never the player I’ve been. People know me from playing all around the world in the summer not getting paid a dollar — Drew League, AVL, Danny Rumph… any league it was, ‘Trez was in it. So, I’m a player that loves to play the game but for me to have and be blessed to make a paycheck from this game and for me to go to a workspace where I completely love to just go and be free in and actually hate it? It did something to me and I don’t want to have to go back to that, man. I was blessed to be able to be in a situation where they welcomed me with open arms in Australia, man. It was amazing to just be a part of that whole culture and that vibe and actually be a part of the NBL and how they not catered to me, but actually appreciate the things that I do for them on the court. I couldn’t ask for anything more, man; coming out of the headspace and places that I was in dealing with how my year was handled with the Sixers into going into a whole knee injury, man. Like, I was in a dark place and it really just helped me to get back to the light really.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What made your time with the 76ers difficult?
Montrezl Harrell: I mean honestly man, the whole situation of me going to the Sixers it wasn’t a truthful situation and I said this in an interview with the whole Paul George thing; that article with there. When I did that article, I spoke about it, man. I went to the Sixers with false impressions of what it was actually going to be verses to what it actually was; and when I say that is in that point in time I was dealing with the crazy situation with what the police was basically trying to pin on me and that situation, and I beat that case and beat that situation. I got out of that, and basically Doc [Rivers], Sam Cassell — they told me with me coming into playing with the Sixers, I was basically going to basically be used the same way I was when I was with the Clippers. When Joel Embiid was out games, those games I would be starting but even with him still being in the amount of games that he was going to play throughout the year, I was still going to play 15-18 minutes a night. That’s what was told to me. Flat out plain point, no in between that’s what they told me. I got multiple people in my family that listened to the situation and the call as well because when I talked to them about my life and certain situations that I was going to be going into, I put it on speakerphone in front of my family. That’s the people who are going to be involved in it and need to know the in’s and outs. So I had multiple people in my family that said or heard him say these exact things to me just to get into the situation and all of that just be a complete lie. I was racking up DNP’s and then basically when I got into that situation, I actually saw what they were trying to do and what they were asking me to do — they basically wanted me to take 10 minutes each game but it wasn’t a full 10 minutes. It’s basically like, 10 minutes but I’ll play maybe four in the first half and if I don’t really do nothing in those four minutes in the first half, then I won’t play the second half. They’ll give the last four minutes to younger guys like Paul Reed at that point in time. Now you guys watch basketball, right? Now wasn’t it like that happening with me and Paul Reed? Definitely go back and watch it. The whole situation. I would play and come out. I would be the first big off. But then when Joel came back in, it wasn’t me. It was Paul Reed and that’s what they were trying to do to me. So when I looked at that situation, I said, ‘Bro. That’s out, man! Y’all know what I did. Y’all know what I can do. Y’all know who I am… and that’s not even being on some cocky shit. It’s just being on some respect shit and having the understanding of why I thought coming into this situation with y’all. No y’all just trying to play me like I gotta prove myself again…in what bro? I understand who Joel is, yes, but when he comes out the game, for me having to split minutes with a younger kid? Man, I ain’t about to get into all that because I don’t want to talk about that young fella’s game. But how they [the 76ers] did me, I told them, ‘I’m cool on it. Give all them minutes right there?… those ten minutes to Paul Reed so y’all got a whole simple rotation. When Joel comes out, y’all know y’all going’ straight to Paul Reed.’ And I just went in and did my work for the rest of the year. I would go in still did my work whenever we practiced; I went and practiced hard getting my extra work in with one of the Player Development Coaches, I was getting my work in with him — we would play one-on-one versus each other at times and stuff like that but this wasn’t even nothing that Doc and them were doing. This is what I was doing in general but then they tried to make it a thing like, Oh that’s supposed to be part of my workout for me to come in and play one-on-one against the Player Development Coach… I’m like, ‘Oh see? Now y’all really stretchin’ it bro! I’m not about to come in and play one-on-one versus this man everyday knowing that he can’t guard me just to be real but, what am I getting out of this bro? Y’all trippin’, man!’ So like I said, that whole time I experienced with the Sixers? I hated it, bro. I swear I hated it. And the thing about is, it got even worse because you see when me and Doc had words, and both times he really just discredited me as a player; like, he basically told me in the situation with me of coming with him to the Sixers, I had no other teams that wanted me which was a lie. I could’ve gone to Boston. The only reason why I didn’t go to Boston is because they basically told me that I have to be comfortable with not playing games and where I was at in my career, I looked at like, Bro, I need to be on the floor to actually prove that I still have something to give to this game and I can still play like it. I should’ve taken that situation and went to Boston honestly, but they had Al Horford and the young kid that they traded off to… the young kid that had the knee injury with the dreads. What’s his name? Robert Williams. They had him. So in that situation I’m feeling like, That’s tough to say I’ma get DNP’s and y’all already got Al Horford who’s an established vet and using the young fella Rob. That’s kinda tough. I need to be on the floor playing… It was nothing else with them. It was one of those situations where I felt like the amount of games we didn’t know that we might not have played in, that’s tough to bank on that. And then you have them over there “telling” me that I will play 15-18 minutes. Which one would you choose?
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Robert Williams had injury issues in 2022. The Celtics also went to the NBA Finals that year. Do you ever ask yourself: ‘what if I had signed with Boston?’
Montrezl Harrell: The crazy thing about it is that you have to look at is also we banking on that we don’t know if Robert Williams even gets hurt and then you gotta think he doesn’t get hurt and they’ll ship me right outta there, you feel me? So I’m still banking on a whole lot of things and I’m still in one of those situations where I have to stay ready which is not a problem. I’m a pro but it’s like we’re still banking on him to get hurt, so we don’t know. That’s like it’s a situation versus maybe he got to get hurt versus the situation where like I said, I was “told” that I might be playing 15-18 minutes with the coaching staff and people that I already won an award in the NBA with.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What was the NBA Bubble in Orlando like in 2020?
Montrezl Harrell: To be quite frankly honest, I should’ve never gone back to it. I left the bubble to deal with losing my grandmother. And then… even to go back to this taking about that situation it’s still fucked up because even talking about how Doc and them did me, bro? Even when I left that bubble? If I don’t tell this, people don’t know this — I left that bubble to deal with the loss of my grandmother. I lost my grandmother, you feel me? I lost a person that means the world to me, everything in my life. I lost her. They [the Clippers] were calling me non-stop to come back and I’m like, Damn. I couldn’t even grieve or take care of what I needed for my family for the funeral because of how much they were calling me… But to make it even worse, they didn’t even fly me back. They didn’t even give me a private plane. Y’all ain’t do none of that shit. I drove myself from Rocky Mountain, North Carolina all the way back to fuckin’ Florida by myself in a car. That shit is like a 14-hour drive, cuz! I did that shit by myself just so I wouldn’t break the [COVID-19] protocol. Fuck that! Even with that, while I was gone, I drove myself from my home city to a city that was an hour away to take a COVID test every day for y’all. Every day when I was at home dealing with my family losing my grandma and shit like that — I went an hour away every day to take a COVID-19 test for y’all and came up negative every day just for ya’ll when I do all that shit, y’all blow up my line, all that hitting me up; and I get back to the bubble I drive my fuckin’ self back there and y’all ain’t reimburse me for none of that shit; y’all didn’t give me a car or anything for none of that shit — I drove myself back there because I didn’t want to depend on some private plane. That shit was out. Y’all told me if I flew commercial then I would have to be quarantined because that’s basically I would be running a risk and that would be “breaking protocol”. So I drove myself back in a car… by my fuckin’ self just to get back and y’all STILL quarantined me because y’all claimed I was “out” and somebody took a picture with me and I broke the rules of whole thing. But I STILL tested negative the whole entire time!
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What was your reasoning in signing with the Lakers in 2020 after winning the NBA’s 6th Man of the Year award with the Clippers the season before?
Montrezl Harrell: Man to be honest with you, it wasn’t about any exposure shit, bro. I just won Sixth Man of the Year in the bubble and I just wanted to be in the same city y’all was in just to give y’all fuckin’ hell right across the street. Where we’re looked at as the big brother compared to y’all. And I was doing that shit and the only thing that fucked it up that year is that ‘Bron got hurt. That was the year he hurt his groin. Because you gotta think… That year? It was fuckin’ — the three leading scorers were LeBron, Anthony Davis and Montrezl Harrell! I was averaging 15-18; ‘Bron was averaging 20-plus and AD was averaging right at 20 and I was averaging 16-18 a night. Yeah! If Bron didn’t get hurt right there, we got something to talk about. So, and on top of that the Clippers didn’t even offer me because I got into it with Paul George in the bubble. That’s what the other interviews I was talking about with that too that me and Paul George got into it in the NBA Bubble. So I get into it with the superstar guy and at that point in time I’m up for a contract, I’m the more expendable guy.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What will teams get if they decide to bring you in?
Montrezl Harrell: Man to be honest with you bro, I’m STILL the player that loves to play the game. I still come in and do my job to the highest level that anybody does it at, bro. Even at the age that I am now. I had one injury my whole entire basketball career, one surgery my whole entire basketball career. And like I said, I beat all the odds and the narratives of what’s supposed to happen when you go through these injuries. I was back on the court walking within 6 months, cuz. Most people ain’t even walking until nine [months]. I was actually back running on the court and actually moving in 6 months. So, I’m a person that does the work. I don’t have any problem with doing the work but at the same time, I’m a player and a person, bro! Just tell me what it is and just mean what you say. That’s it. That’s all I’ve ever been. Tell me what the truth is, tell me how you’re looking at the situation on what you feel and what I can do to make me change or get myself in position to help in the situation and we go from there. But don’t just keep sugarcoating shit and lying to my face and you keep telling me it’s going to be this and I’m sitting there looking stupid more and more and more because then we’re gonna have a problem. Because now I’m looking at it like you can’t even give me the common courtesy to just be honest with me and just tell me what the real is. So to be honest with you bro, if anybody were to put me on a team at the end of the day bro, you’re STILL gonna get the same person that comes in that’s ready to work, leave it all on the floor for their basketball team in order to try to win something. At the end of the day when I go into the game, I think it’s all what we’re all ultimately trying to win, which is a ‘chip. So if we would leave that shit how we act that’s in between the lines, we’d be golden. And don’t try to think that it’s looked at as how I am a person like that off the court because look at any of these teams that I’ve been on, bro… I didn’t give anybody any issues off the court. If I was catching headcases and all this and that and the third, these teams wouldn’t still have hit me up to have me on their teams the years I was still there, bro. So I don’t bother anybody, bro. I stay in my own lane. I stay out of the way. I stay in my own bubble, in my own peace, bro. If I’m not in the gym hoopin’ somewhere playin’ basketball on the court, most times you’ll ever see ‘Trez if you log on to his tweets when you see me gamin’, bro and that still be in the comfortability in my own fuckin’ house.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Do you think NBA owners and executives are scared of you?
Montrezl Harrell: Yup. Because I’m me, bro. That’s why. They’re scared of me because I’m me and what I mean by that is they see me with the dreads, the tattoos and they see me with the piercings and all that and they think, Oh this is going to be a person that comes in and he’s gonna be a problem; he’s gonna be a head case, he’s gonna be this, he’s gonna be that… When that’s not the truth. I’m the complete opposite, bro. When I come in, I make the room I’m laughing with the people and the training staff. Ask any of my teammates. You wanna know the best people on any of my teams that I’ve been on that I connect mostly to? The training staff and the equipment people because these are the people that are taking care of you, bro.
Montrezl Harrell’s story is one of resilience in a league that often rewards image over authenticity and speed over patience. Despite facing physical setbacks and emotional challenges, including the profound loss of a loved one during one of the most unusual moments in NBA history, he has maintained a steadfast commitment to his craft and character. His journey underscores a reality many players experience but few openly discuss — the fragility of opportunity in professional sports and the toll it takes when trust is broken.
The NBA bubble, meant to be a safe haven for basketball amid a global pandemic, became for Harrell a reminder of how teams sometimes prioritize protocol and control over compassion. Navigating grief alone while juggling the demands of a league’s strict policies revealed the human cost behind the headlines and highlight reels. Yet, even in these moments of isolation and frustration, Harrell remained dedicated to his responsibilities and the team, a testament to his professionalism and inner strength.
What stands out in Harrell’s experience is the disconnect between perception and reality. Despite being stereotyped due to his appearance and demeanor, those closest to him attest to his positivity, work ethic, and respectfulness. His relationship with the training and support staff, often overlooked in stories about athletes, shows a player who values the often-invisible pillars that uphold any successful team. This contrast between image and truth reflects a larger conversation about how players are labeled and judged beyond their performance on the court.
In seeking opportunities after his injury, Harrell demonstrates a clear-eyed awareness of the business side of the NBA. His candidness about being “expendable” following a contract dispute and the impact of internal team dynamics highlights how quickly a player’s status can shift, regardless of talent or contribution. It also exposes the challenges veteran players face when trying to maintain relevance amid younger prospects and shifting organizational priorities.
Despite these obstacles, Harrell’s passion for the game remains undiminished. His transition to leagues outside the NBA and into the BIG3 speaks not to a fading career but to a continued pursuit of competition, growth, and purpose. In carving out new paths, he challenges the idea that an athlete’s value is solely defined by their presence in the NBA spotlight. Instead, he models adaptability and perseverance, qualities that resonate beyond sports.
Ultimately, Montrezl Harrell’s journey is a powerful narrative about identity, resilience, and honesty in professional sports. It invites us to reconsider how we view athletes — not just as performers but as individuals with complex lives and emotions. His story reminds us that beneath every stat line and highlight reel is a human being striving for respect, opportunity, and a chance to be seen for who they truly are. In that light, Harrell’s fight is far from over, and his voice remains one worth listening to.
