Montrezl Harrell Reveals He Nearly Fought Paul George During 2020 NBA Bubble, 'I Will Beat Your Ass'

Former NBA center Montrezl Harrell explained why he was almost involved in a fight with Los Angeles Clippers teammate Paul George during a second-round playoff clash with the Denver Nuggets in the 2020 NBA bubble.

During a Friday appearance on the Kowch Potatoes podcast, Harrell revealed that the disagreement stemmed from a miscommunication on defense while guarding Nuggets star Nikola Jokić.

"Bruh tried to start talking to me crazy and then tried to address me like, 'Bro, who you talking to?' Once he said that, all the basketball went out the window," Harrell said (0:57 mark). "I didn't think about nothing else. Lou had to grab me, Pat came up and grabbed me."

"I said, 'Bro, I will beat your ass. F--k all the basketball s--t, I will knock you the f--k out bruh. I'm not even playing with you.' I just started letting him have it," he added.

The high tensions between Harrell and George don't come as a complete shock, as reports from the bubble in Sept. 2020 indicated that the two players didn't see eye-to-eye.

Still, the Clippers were viewed as a top contender to capture a championship at the time with a rotation that featured George, Harrell, Kawhi Leonard, Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley.

Los Angeles compiled a 44-20 record to start its 2019-20 campaign before the NBA moved to the bubble in Orlando amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Clippers took down the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs that year, but ended up blowing a 3-1 series lead over the Nuggets in the second round before they were eliminated.

George struggled against Denver, shooting just 38.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from behind the arc across the final three games of the series.

Harrell averaged 11.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while connecting on 54.9 percent of his field goals in the second round.

He ultimately joined the Los Angeles Lakers during the ensuing offseason, while George remained with the Clippers for four more years before signing with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2024.