The Milwaukee Bucks’ announcing team certainly did not forget about Montrezl Harrell’s capers from earlier in the season.
The Bucks steam-pressed the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, winning by a final tally of 117-104. Milwaukee never trailed and led by as many as 22 points during the contest.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter as the game was in hand, the Bucks’ local broadcast on Bally Sports panned to 76ers veteran big Montrezl Harrell sitting on the bench. That prompted Milwaukee’s duo of play-by-play announcer Lisa Byington and color commentator Marques Johnson to clown on Harrell.
“There’s Mr. Ladderman,” said Johnson of Harrell. “Mr.You-Can’t-Shoot-Free-Throws-On-My-Court-Cuz-I-Gotta-Work-On-My-Game.”
“I’m looking here, and it doesn’t look like Harrell has gotten any playing time,” Byington added.
“How many minutes has he played with all that work he put in on his game?” Johnson responded.
Here is the video.
Bucks broadcasters about Montrezl Harrell with the Bucks up big: 'There's Mr.Ladderman..Mr.You-cant-shoot-free-throws-on-my-court-cos-I-gotta-work-on-my-game..How many minutes has he played with all that work he put on his game?' pic.twitter.com/MLa5m1KRfD
— hoops bot (@hoops_bot) April 3, 2023
Byington and Johnson were, of course, alluding to the notorious incident between Harrell and Antetokounmpo after a 76ers’ win over the Bucks in Philadelphia this past November. Antetokounmpo was attempting to work on his free throws after the game, but Harrell effectively kicked him off the floor by taking Antetokounmpo’s ball away. Harrell then proceeded to get into a confrontation with Antetokounmpo’s brother Thanasis, who had approached him over the incident (video here).
As for Johnson’s “Mr. Ladderman” comment there, that is a reference to how Antetokounmpo pushed down an arena worker’s ladder on the other side of the court after Harrell had kicked him out.
It is true that Harrell, the former Sixth Man of the Year, is not seeing the court much these days. He has been surpassed by Paul Reed for the backup minutes to Joel Embiid (with newcomer Dewayne Dedmon also factoring in). As a result, Harrell is getting just 11.8 minutes per game overall this season and has only made four appearances in the last month-and-a-half. The 56-22 Bucks are also now comfortably ahead of the 51-27 76ers in the standings, so it is fair to say that Harrell is taking the L this time around.
