"Damn, they're chanting 'MVP'! What if I miss?" Montrezl Harrell talks about the pressure that comes with the Washington Wizards fans' "MVP" chants
Montrezl Harrell is off to one of the best starts of his career, in his first season with the Washington Wizards, so much so that fans at Capital One Arena chant "MVP!" whenever he makes a trip to the free-throw line.
In 13 games so far, Montrezl Harrell is the Wizards' second-best scorer despite starting only twice. Fans have taken notice of his dominating performances every other night, and in an attempt to further boost his confidence, the "MVP!" chants are starting to ring loud around the arena.
In a postgame news conference, Harrell said this when asked if he heard the cheers:
"Yeah, I hate it. I hate it. I ain't gotta lie to you. I hate it. Don't chant it until the second free throw. I'm not gonna lie to you. I swear, I hate it. If you chant it, give me till the second free-throw, 'cause I swear the first one I go up there I start to get in my head like 'Damn, they're chanting MVP. What if I miss?' Every one of them I miss, so I'm not gonna lie to you, my brother, I love it, but I hate it."
Even though Harrell misses few free throws (65-for-80, 81.3%), it is unlikely fans will stop anytime soon if he continues to deliver spectacular outings.
How far can Harrell and the Washington Wizards go in the 2021-22 season?
Washington sits atop the Eastern Conference standings, entering Wednesday night's game at the Charlotte Hornets.
The Wizards have a team full of hungry players willing to prove they belong in the league. Harrell, alongside two other Wizards starters, was shipped out of Los Angeles in a trade for Russell Westbrook.
The Lakers sought Westbrook, a nine-time All-Star, two-time scoring champ and former NBA MVP, as perhaps a finishing piece for a title run. However, Washington may have gotten the better end with the quality of three players blossoming after the trade: Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Number of dunks by the Wizards so far this season…
Montrezl Harrell: 26*
Rest of team: 26
*3rd-most in NBA https://t.co/0iIKgIgorq
Coming into the season, the Wizards were seen as an average team at best, but Washington has managed to find a rhythm early in the season and could prove their doubters wrong.
Harrell has been a key part of that revival. He is averaging 18.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Harrell was the No. 2 pick by the Houston Rockets in the 2015 draft, but his career has been that of a journey man so far. Despite averaging double digits in points the past five seasons, he's on his fifth team in seven seasons.