Montrezl Harrell Pledges To Give His All to the Lakers

Montrezl Harrell insists his decision to join the Lakers from city rivals the Clippers was purely a business decision.

However, he appears to feel some regret about the fact that the Los Angeles Clippers didn’t push to keep him.

Montrezl Harrell spent three years playing for the Clippers. Last season, the 26 year old posted career highs of 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds. 

The reigning 6th Man of the Year came off the bench for 61 of the 63 regular season games he played last year.

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That the newly crowned champions and fierce rivals the Lakers wanted him and the Clippers did not is contentious. However, Montrezl Harrell played down any furore.

“Honestly, it’s a business decision,” he said.

“I felt that it was the right decision for me. I talked to my family and, you know, it’s where we decided I wanted to go. Simple as that. … I’m definitely going to be with a team that wanted me.”

He insists joining the Lakers wasn’t to spite the Clippers, although he said he wanted to continue playing with them.

“I feel that if you spend your career in any place long enough, you’re going to want to still keep playing there and keep growing there,” Harrell said. 

“So, of course I still have great respect for those guys and for that organization. But like I said, as far as they wanted me back, obviously it doesn’t seem that way, does it?”

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“I don’t think it’s going to be anything we have to switch, because at the end of the day, the game of basketball is our job,” Harrell said. 

“When I was playing for the Clippers, I gave it everything I had every night when I laced up my sneakers. And now that I’m here with the Los Angeles Lakers, that’s the same thing I’m going to do here.”