Perhaps more than any player on the Los Angeles Lakers, Montrezl Harrell wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s a passionate guy and has dealt with serious off-the-court issues over the last couple of years. Mother’s Day is a tough time for him due to the loss of his beloved grandmother in July 2020. He decided to post a heartfelt message to his grandmother on Sunday.
“Everyday I struggle with you not being here,” he wrote in part. “Everyday is a hard task not to just pick up the phone and wanna hear you just laugh or make a joke. MA I miss you more than you can imagine.”
It was a touching tribute to a woman Harrell had previously described as his “entire world.”
But one of his Lakers teammates didn’t make things easier with a comment on the post. Dennis Schroder commented, “That’s Tuff,” with emojis. The saying has become Schroder’s thing, as he comments “that’s tuff” on pretty much anything. He even has a trademark on the saying.
However, many fans thought it was a bizarre comment to make on Harrell’s post expressing sadness over his grandmother’s absence. Schroder took a beating online for the comment that was still visible as of this writing.
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Schroder Slammed Online for the Comment
More than 1,000 people have replied to Schroder’s comment, with most of them questioning why he would write what he did. Many fans went after the veteran guard for the comment that has been perceived as seriously tone-deaf.
On other Instagram posts from Harrell, trolls are blowing up the comments sections with “that’s tuff.”
The two men are teammates and there’s no indication that there is any animosity between them. It’s possible that Harrell isn’t even aware of his comment sections or what Schroder said. Regardless, many fans think Schroder should be saving the “that’s tuff” comments for different types of posts.
Lakers Believe Schroder Will Be Back Soon
Schroder has been away from the team since May 2 due to the NBA’s coronavirus health and safety protocols, his second COVID-related absence this year, as ESPN reported. It’s possible that he could be done for the rest of the regular season and not return until the playoffs. However, head coach Frank Vogel revealed that the team is still holding out hope the guard can play the last two games of the season.
“We’re really still hopeful that he can return for the final two games—or one of those final two games—to get a little bit of run before we enter playoff play,” Vogel said on May 9, via The OC Register. “And he’s limited, obviously, with what he can do from a conditioning standpoint but just trying to make the best of it.”
Since Schroder and LeBron James have been injured, the Lakers have struggled at point guard. Alex Caruso has played well but he’s also banged up right now. Los Angeles needs Schroder back before the playoffs. Fortunately, it sounds like he’ll be back sooner rather than later.
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Dennis Schroder Slammed Online for Tone-Deaf Comment to Montrezl Harrell