Montrezl Harrell

BIOGRAPHY

Montrezl Harrell, whose full name is Montrezl Dashay Harrell, and pronounced (/ˈmɒntrɛz ˈhærəl/) mon-TREZ HARR-əl, is an accomplished professional basketball player hailing from the United States. Born on January 26, 1994, Harrell is presently signed up with the Adelaide 36ers, which is an esteemed team of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).

Hailing from Tarboro, North Carolina, Harrell towers over his opponents at 6’7″. He made a name for himself as a power forward at North Edgecombe High School before honing his skills at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia, for a year. Here, Harrell led the team to achieve a breathtaking 38-1 record, averaging 25.2 points and 13.6 rebounds each game.

Harrell’s undeniable talent caught the attention of renowned coach Seth Greenberg, who managed to secure a commitment from Harrell to play for Virginia Tech, where Greenberg was the coach at the time. However, this commitment changed shape following Greenberg’s dismissal, prompting Harrell to choose Louisville in the end. His debut performance in college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals was solid, and his game only got better as time went on. He originally supported power forward Chane Behanan, but soon started pulling ranks with an average of 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds every 16.2 minutes in play.

Harrell demonstrated his prowess in the Cardinals’ stunning Big East Conference championship victory over Syracuse by scoring an impressive 20 points. His key role from the reserve helped the Cardinals secure the 2013 NCAA championship. This impressive feat was diminished later; nevertheless, it goes down in history as one of the significant highlights of Harrell’s freshman season.

Gorgui Dieng’s departure for the 2013 NBA draft led to Harrell getting much-needed recognition across the nation as one of the top returning players. The Sporting News celebrated Harrell by featuring him on the “All-America” third team in its 2013–14 college basketball preview magazine. Both Harrell and his teammate Russ Smith were chosen to be a part of the American Athletic Conference’s all-conference first team.

Harrell decided to postpone his entrance into the NBA to remain in college for his junior year, leading to the Cardinals shifting to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In the 2014-15 season, he achieved an average of 15.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. For his soul-stirring performance this season, Harrell received the inaugural Karl Malone Award, which is given in recognition of the nation’s top power forward.

Following his college career, Harrell was selected by the Houston Rockets in the second round of the NBA draft in 2015, ranking 32nd overall. He signed a three-year deal with the Rockets on September 19, 2015, and made his debut for the Rockets in their first game of the season against the Denver Nuggets.

In June 2017, Harrell was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Harrell spent the following three seasons playing with the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and the Philadelphia 76ers. His career took a brief halt when he endured an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in 2023, and he couldn’t play in the entire 2023–24 season. However, Harrell is known for his resilient spirit. He trained hard, overcame his injury and signed with the 36ers in 2024 after participating in NBA minicamps in the run-up to the 2024-25 season.

Throughout his career, Harrell has been under the limelight for his accolades. One such honor includes the NBA Sixth Man of the Year of 2020, which he received during his time with the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite adverse circumstances in the game, he demonstrated relentless determination and passion for the sport, qualities that enabled him to rise above the challenges.

Apart from being a successful basketball player, Harrell is also a family man who is the proud father of two children. An interesting fact about Harrell’s moniker is that his father added the silent “l” to his first name to make it distinctive. Moreover, Harrell has a diverse range of hobbies that includes collecting and designing sneakers. He actively collaborates with sneaker customizers to bring his unique design ideas to life.

However, Harrell’s journey hasn’t always been smooth. He faced adversity in 2022 when he was charged with trafficking less than 5 pounds of marijuana, a felony drug charge that could potentially lead to a sentence of up to five years in prison. Later, this charge was downgraded to a misdemeanor. Notwithstanding the obstacles, Harrell has remained steadfast throughout his career and continues to be a dedicated contributor to the sport of basketball.