Montrezl Harrell Admits Grudge Fueled Move to Lakers: “I Joined to Spite the Clippers”…read more…
In a candid revelation that has reignited the Los Angeles basketball rivalry, Montrezl Harrell has admitted that his decision to join the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020-21 NBA season was driven in large part by a personal grudge against the Clippers, his former team.
Harrell, the 2020 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, was a vital part of the Clippers’ energetic bench unit during his tenure with the team from 2017 to 2020. Alongside Lou Williams, Harrell helped transform the Clippers into a playoff-caliber team without the presence of a superstar. However, when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George arrived in 2019, the team’s dynamics changed — and so did Harrell’s role and sense of loyalty.
“I’m not going to lie, I felt disrespected,” Harrell said on a recent podcast appearance. “I gave everything I had to that organization. I played through injuries, I brought intensity, and I really felt like part of the heart and soul of that team. But once the stars came in, it felt like the work I put in got ignored.”
Harrell’s frustration was compounded during the Clippers’ infamous 2020 playoff collapse in the Orlando bubble, where the team blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the second round. Harrell’s minutes dwindled, and he was criticized for his on-court performance, despite dealing with personal tragedies — including the death of his grandmother — that impacted his mental and emotional state.
“I wasn’t right mentally in the bubble,” Harrell said. “But instead of understanding that, I felt like the team just moved on. They were quick to point fingers. That hurt.”
In the 2020 offseason, Harrell shocked the NBA world by signing a two-year, $19 million deal with the Lakers — the Clippers’ crosstown rival. Many fans and analysts viewed it as a pure basketball decision: a championship team needing bench scoring, and a player looking for a fresh start. But Harrell now confirms there was more to it.
“Absolutely, there was some spite in there,” Harrell admitted. “I knew what it meant to go from the Clippers to the Lakers. I knew how that would be received. I wanted to send a message. You don’t value me? Fine. I’ll go help the other team win.”
The move did not pan out as Harrell or the Lakers had hoped. The 2020-21 season was marred by injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and the defending champions were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns. Harrell’s role once again diminished in the postseason, leading to another summer of uncertainty and an eventual trade to the Washington Wizards as part of the Russell Westbrook deal.
Still, Harrell says he has no regrets.
“Do I wish things had gone differently with the Lakers? Sure,” he said. “But at that moment in time, it felt right. It felt like I was taking back control of my story. I wasn’t going to let the Clippers define me or my value.”
Harrell’s comments add a deeper, more emotional layer to what is already one of the NBA’s most intense rivalries. The Lakers and Clippers, who share the same arena but drastically different histories, have long been viewed as basketball opposites. The Lakers are the glamorous, title-rich franchise. The Clippers, historically overshadowed, have tried to build a grittier, underdog identity — an identity that Harrell himself embodied before his departure.
“He played with a chip on his shoulder every night,” said former teammate Patrick Beverley. “That’s the kind of guy you love to go to war with. But when you feel unappreciated, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.”
Harrell is currently a free agent, having last played for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2022-23 season. A torn ACL derailed his 2023-24 campaign, and he’s now in recovery, seeking an opportunity to return to the league. But even as his playing future remains uncertain, his story continues to resonate — especially in a league where player movement is often dissected in purely transactional terms.
“This is a business, but we’re human too,” Harrell said. “People forget that. They see a player switch teams and just think it’s about money or minutes. But sometimes, it’s deeper than that. It’s pride. It’s emotion. It’s feeling seen.”
The NBA has seen its fair share of player revenge arcs, from Kevin Durant joining the Warriors to Isaiah Thomas playing through injury for Boston only to be traded. Harrell’s journey may not carry the same headline-grabbing drama, but it’s a reminder of the emotional undercurrents that drive player decisions.
“He’s not the first to make a decision based on a grudge,” said an anonymous former Clippers staffer. “But it’s rare to hear someone be that honest about it.”
As for whether Harrell would ever consider a reunion with the Clippers or the Lakers, he didn’t rule anything out — but made it clear that his loyalty now lies with himself.
“I’ve learned to stop chasing approval,” he said. “I know who I am, and I know what I bring. If the opportunity is right, I’ll suit up again. But it’s gotta be with people who respect my game and my grind.”
In a league that often emphasizes branding and diplomacy, Montrezl Harrell’s openness is a breath of fresh air — and a window into the personal battles that shape professional decisions. Whether he returns to the NBA or not, his story stands as a powerful example of how pride, passion, and personal history can sometimes drive a
career more than contracts ever could.
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