A man has been detained for allegedly directing racial abuse towards Montrezl Harrell, a player for the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL, through a deceptive Instagram account. This incident followed a brawl that occurred during a game against Melbourne United in November, which escalated into the crowd.
After the altercation, Harrell faced racial insults on Instagram from what appeared to be a fake account, prompting him to report the issue to Basketball Australia’s integrity unit. Recently, law enforcement apprehended and charged an individual concerning these derogatory messages. The formal charge involves using a carriage service to menace, harass, or offend, with police expected to provide further confirmation imminently.
Typically, police interactions regarding such matters only occur when the athlete files a complaint, making it unusual for complaints about fake or burner accounts to lead to legal action. This situation underscores broader concerns within the sporting community, particularly given the frequent online abuse that Indigenous athletes encounter from anonymous social media profiles. It illustrates that anonymity does not equate to immunity from consequences.
The maximum penalty for such an offence can reach five years in prison. Harrell, who has played in the NBA from 2015 to 2023 for teams including the Lakers, Clippers, and Rockets, was awarded the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2020 and was also selected for the All-NBL Second Team during his tenure with the 36ers. He has confirmed his re-signing with the Adelaide club for the upcoming 2025-2026 NBL season.