For Montrezl Harrell, the NBA bubble in Orlando was more than a basketball experience — it was a personal and emotional whirlwind that changed the trajectory of his career.
In an exclusive interview, Harrell didn’t hold back when reflecting on what really went down behind the scenes during the NBA’s 2020 restart. At the center of it all was personal tragedy, professional betrayal, and a 14-hour drive that still stings to this day.
“To be quite frankly honest, I should’ve never gone back to it,” Harrell admitted, referring to his return to the bubble following the passing of his grandmother. “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 f—- up because even talking about how Doc and them did me, bro? Even when I left that bubble?”
Harrell’s emotions were raw as he detailed how his mourning was disrupted by the Clippers’ persistence.
“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 nonstop 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 what followed was, in his words, inexcusable.
“They didn’t even fly me back. They didn’t even give me a private plane. Y’all ain’t do none of that s—. I drove myself from Rocky Mountain, North Carolina all the way back to f——’ Florida by myself in a car. That s— is like a 14-hour drive, cuz! I did that s— by myself just so I wouldn’t break the [COVID-19] protocol.”
Even while away, Harrell made sure to follow every health protocol, daily.
“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 s— like that — I went an hour away every day to take a COVID-19 test for y’all and came up negative everyday just for y’all.”
Still, after going above and beyond, Harrell says the Clippers made things worse when he returned.
“Y’all blow up my line, all that hitting me up; and I get back to the bubble. I drive my f—–’ self back there and y’all ain’t reimburse me for none of that s—; y’all didn’t give me a car or anything for none of that s— — I drove myself back there because I didn’t want to depend on some private plane. That s— was out.”
According to Harrell, not only was he quarantined upon arrival, but it was for a reason he still disputes.
“Y’all told me if I flew commercial then I would have to be quarantined because basically I would be running a risk and that would be ‘breaking protocol.’ So I drove myself back in a car…by my f—–’ 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!”
After enduring what he felt was a lack of support and respect from the Clippers, Harrell made the bold decision to sign with their crosstown rival, the Los Angeles Lakers. And it wasn’t about glitz or exposure — it was personal.
“Man, to be honest with you, it wasn’t about any exposure s—, 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 f—–’ hell right across the street.”
Harrell’s motivation was to help the Lakers dominate the same streets the Clippers claimed. And early on, they were clicking.
“We’re looked at as the big brother compared to y’all. And I was doing that s— and the only thing that f—– 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 f—–’ — 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.”
The Lakers’ title hopes that season were derailed by injuries, but the decision to leave the Clippers wasn’t just about the opportunity in purple and gold. Harrell says tensions inside the bubble also played a role in his departure.
“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.”
For Montrezl Harrell, the bubble wasn’t just a setting for playoff basketball — it was a turning point marked by grief, sacrifice, and a painful reminder of how the business of basketball can sometimes forget the human being behind the jersey.
