Josh Harrellson

Josh Douglas Harrellson (born February 12, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for Saga Ballooners of the Japanese B.League. Standing , he played center for the Kentucky Wildcats from 2008 to 2011. He was selected by the New Orleans Hornets as the 45th pick in the 2011 NBA draft, but was traded to the New York Knicks. He signed with the Miami Heat in 2012. In 2013, he joined the Brujos de Guayama in Puerto Rico, but he was released on May 18 so that he could join Chongqing Flying Dragons in the Chinese National Basketball League for a two-month period. In August 2013, Harrellson joined the Detroit Pistons.

Harrellson first played organized basketball as a freshman at St. Charles High School. Coach Gary Wacker helped develop Harrellson's skills, and he was named a first-team All-State player his junior and senior years. He signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Western Illinois University, but never enrolled there, choosing instead to attend junior college at Southwestern Illinois College. After one year at Southwest Illinois, he was recruited to Kentucky by then-coach Billy Gillispie. Gillispie was fired after Harrellson's first season, and Harrellson played sparingly the next year under new coach John Calipari. Due to the ineligibility of star recruit Enes Kanter, Harrellson received significantly more playing time his senior year, during which he averaged 6.4 points per game and led the Southeastern Conference in rebounding with 8.8 per game. In the 2011 NCAA tournament, he was named to the All-East Region Team.

High school career Harrellson had never played organized basketball prior to 2003, his freshman year at St. Charles High School. St. Charles boys' basketball coach Gary Wacker noticed Harrellson, who stood six feet, four inches tall as a high school freshman, when he came to the football coach's office to ask about tryouts. When Harrellson showed up too late for football tryouts, Wacker encouraged him to try playing basketball.

Harrellson had a difficult home life, and eventually moved in with his AAU basketball coach. He averaged 18.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.6 blocked shots, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals during his final season of high school basketball, while leading St. Charles to the Class 4 state semi-finals. He was named second team All-Metro by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and was again named first team All-State. Instead of playing for Western Illinois, Harrellson decided to matriculate to a junior college. Harrellson joined future Alabama forward Chris Hines and future Minnesota guard Devron Bostick on the SWIC basketball team, and during the 2007–08 season, he averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds. The game was one of only six all season in which Harrellson tallied at least 10 points. After the game, Gillispie made Harrellson ride back to Lexington in the equipment van instead of on the bus with his teammates. Sophomore A. J. Stewart and freshman Donald Williams decided to transfer, while senior Jared Carter decided not to apply for a medical redshirt. Harrellson impressed Calipari and remained on the team. He averaged 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, and his season high in points was five. Playing against teams from China and Russia, Harrellson averaged 13.1 points and 9.2 rebounds. When asked about the performance, Calipari remarked, "Either we are the worst offensive rebounding team in America or he's gotten better." Harrellson took exception to Calipari's lack of praise and tweeted, "Just amazing to me I can't get a good job or way to go. Yes he has been working hard this off season ... It is just amazing to me but I look past it and keep trucking!" Calipari then ordered Harrellson to shut down his Twitter account and to do extra conditioning drills as punishment. Harrellson made these drills part of his regular workout and credited them for improving his physical condition. Harrellson started every game for the Wildcats during the 2010–11 season. He achieved career highs in points (24) and rebounds (14) against in-state rival Louisville on December 31, 2010, but regressed once conference play began. He nevertheless led the conference in rebounding with 8.8 per game, and scored 6.4 points per game during the regular season. During the 2011 Southeastern Conference tournament, he averaged 10.3 points per game and was named to the All-Tournament team.

In the 2011 NCAA tournament, Harrellson averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds, including a 17-point, 10-rebound, 3-block performance against Ohio State All-American Jared Sullinger in the third round. He followed up with 12 points, 8 rebounds, and a career-high 4 assists in the regional finals against Tyler Zeller of the North Carolina Tar Heels, helping the Wildcats reach the Final Four. After the game, Harrellson was named to the All-East Region Tournament team along with teammates DeAndre Liggins and Brandon Knight, who was named the region's most outstanding player. In his final game as a Wildcat, a one-point loss to the Connecticut Huskies in the national semi-finals, Harrellson managed only 6 points and 4 rebounds.

Harrellson was invited to the 2011 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, widely regarded as a chance for college seniors to showcase their skills for NBA scouts, but withdrew from the tournament on the advice of University of Kentucky medical staff after the emergence of flu-like symptoms. Basketball analyst David Aldridge ranked Harrellson as the eighth best center available in the 2019 NBA draft. He was projected as a possible early-to-mid-second-round pick in the draft.

On December 31, 2011, he started for the first time for the injured Amar'e Stoudemire and achieved his first double-double against the Sacramento Kings with 14 points, going 4 of 8 from the 3-point line, and 12 rebounds.

During the 2011–12 NBA season, Harrellson was injured after appearing in 16 games. He missed several games to recover from wrist surgery. His first game back was on February 29, 2012, against the Cavaliers.

On July 11, 2012, Harrellson was traded by the Knicks to the Houston Rockets along with Toney Douglas, Jerome Jordan and second-round picks in 2014 and 2015 for Marcus Camby. On August 15, 2012, Harrellson was waived by the Rockets.

On September 17, 2012, Harrellson signed with the Miami Heat. On January 7, 2013, he was waived by the Heat. During his time with the Heat, he averaged 1.7 ppg, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.2 blocks in 5.2 minutes of play. However, he was re-signed on a ten-day contract on January 10, 2013. He later played for the Brujos de Guayama in Puerto Rico and the Chongqing Flying Dragons in China. On July 15, 2014, he was waived by the Pistons.

On September 23, 2014, Harrellson signed with the Chongqing Flying Dragons for the team's first season in the Chinese Basketball Association. He left the team in December 2014 after appearing in 14 games.

On February 14, 2015, Harrellson re-signed with Brujos de Guayama.

In July 2015, Harrellson joined the Phoenix Suns for the 2015 NBA Summer League. On September 25, 2015, he signed with the Washington Wizards. However, he was later waived by the Wizards on October 24 after appearing in seven preseason games. On December 18, 2015, he signed with Latvian club VEF Rīga for the rest of the season.

In August 2016, Harrellson signed with Japanese club Osaka Evessa for the 2016–17 season. The following summer he came terms with the Sun Rockers Shibuya. Harrellson later rejoined Osaka. In the 2019–20 season, he averaged 19.8 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal life Harrellson was born February 12, 1989, in St. Charles, Missouri. He is the son of Doug Harrellson, a construction worker, and Karen Harrellson. He has a brother and sister, and four nieces and nephews. He is married and has a daughter named Arianna.