Montrezl Harrell Says He and Paul George 'Don't See Eye-to-Eye'
The former Clippers teammate discusses lingering tension with George stemming from the 2020 NBA bubble.
Nearly three years after last playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, Paul George continues to face fallout from his tenure with the team, specifically from former teammate Montrezl Harrell.
In a recent interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, Harrell expressed a clear rift between himself and George. "I don’t make comments about that boy. Me and that boy don’t see eye-to-eye, and we ain’t on no terms, so I don’t make comments about him," Harrell stated when asked about his former teammate.
Harrell suggested that their altercation during the 2020 NBA bubble contributed to the Clippers not re-signing him. The tension reportedly escalated during Game 5 of the Clippers' playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. According to reports at the time, George and Harrell had a heated exchange after a timeout, with the argument stemming from George allegedly refusing to take responsibility for a turnover in Game 2.
Harrell also discussed the lack of chemistry within the Clippers team during the bubble, attributing it partly to the COVID-19 pandemic's disruption of the season. "What chemistry could you have when we were playing basketball and had to stop playing for a month? People had to stay in their house," Harrell told Robinson. "We couldn’t go in the gym or be around each other. Who wouldn’t lose chemistry or cohesion after all that took place?"
He further revealed the personal toll the bubble took on him, including the loss of his grandmother, which impacted his mental state and focus on basketball. Harrell mentioned that despite his personal struggles, he felt pressured by the coaching staff and management to return to play.
Harrell also noted that other teammates, including Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams, experienced similar personal losses during that period.
Harrell last played in the NBA before tearing his ACL during a summer workout in 2023. George concluded his time with the Clippers in the 2023-2024 season and is set to join the Boston Celtics after spending the previous two years with the Philadelphia 76ers.