Tyrell Harrison Explained

Tyrell Harrison
Position:Center
Height Cm:214
Weight Kg:115
League:NBL
Team:Brisbane Bullets
Number:24
Birth Date:1999 7, df=y
Birth Place:Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
High School:John Paul College
(Brisbane, Queensland)
Career Start:2017
Years1:2017–2018
Team1:South West Metro Pirates
Years2:2017–present
Team2:Brisbane Bullets
Years3:2019
Team3:Nelson Giants
Years4:2020
Team4:Southern Districts Spartans
Years5:2023
Team5:Franklin Bulls
Years6:2024
Team6:Manawatu Jets
Years7:2024
Team7:Southern Districts Spartans
Highlights:

Tyrell Harrison (born 6 July 1999) is an Australian-New Zealand professional basketball player for the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL). He represents New Zealand in international basketball competitions.

Early life

Harrison was born in Brisbane, Queensland, to a father from New Zealand.[1] Growing up in Regents Park,[2] his father ensured Māori culture was prevalent for Harrison and his older brother as youths. Harrison loved rugby union and supported the All Blacks.

Harrison played basketball at the Logan Metro Indoor Sports Centre[3] and attended John Paul College in Brisbane.

Professional career

Brisbane Bullets

Harrison joined the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL) as a development player for the 2017–18 season. He made his NBL debut in September 2017. In his first three NBL seasons, he appeared in just 17 games.

In the 2020–21 NBL season, Harrison appeared in all 36 games for the Bullets, averaging 5.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. In the 2021–22 NBL season, Harrison increased his minutes and on-court production, but ultimately succumbed to an elbow injury late in the season.[4] He averaged 6.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 17 games.

In the 2022 off-season, Harrison underwent elbow surgery after battling through pain over the previous two seasons. It started as a stress fracture in the 2020–21 season, healed from the stress fracture and then never got better.

In the 2022–23 NBL season, Harrison averaged 5.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 16 games while shooting 82% from the field.[5] He was ruled out for six weeks in late November 2022 with a knee injury.[6]

On 6 March 2023, Harrison re-signed with the Bullets on a two-year deal. He participated in all but one game in the 2023–24 NBL season, averaging 9.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks, establishing himself as the starting center.[7]

On 29 September 2024, Harrison signed a two-year contract extension with the Bullets. Coming into the 2024–25 NBL season, Harrison was named the most valuable player of the NBL Blitz pre-season tournament.[8] [9] On 12 October 2024, he recorded 21 points and 17 rebounds (12 offensive) in an 87–85 win over the South East Melbourne Phoenix.[10] His 12 offensive rebounds set the record for the most ever by a player in a 40-minute NBL game.[11]

QBL/NBL1 North and New Zealand NBL

In 2017, Harrison debuted in the Queensland Basketball League (QBL) for the South West Metro Pirates. He continued with the Pirates in the 2018 QBL season.[12]

Harrison joined the Nelson Giants of the New Zealand NBL for the 2019 season, where he averaged 13.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks in 18 games. He was subsequently named the NZNBL Youth Player of the Year.[13]

In 2020, Harrison played for the Southern Districts Spartans in the Queensland State League (QSL).[14]

Harrison joined the Franklin Bulls for the 2023 New Zealand NBL season[15] but injury restricted him to just seven games while averaging 14.7 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.[16]

Harrison began the 2024 New Zealand NBL season with the Manawatu Jets[17] before joining the Southern Districts Spartans of the NBL1 North for the rest of the 2024 NBL1 season. With the Spartans, he averaged 23.6 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game, earning selection to the NBL1 North First Team.[18]

National team career

In 2017, Harrison played for the Australian University National Team at the World University Games in Taiwan.[19]

After high school, Harrison switched allegiances to play for the New Zealand Tall Blacks. He played for the Tall Blacks during 2019 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers, 2022 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers, 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers, 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers, and at the 2024 FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece.[20]

NBL statistics

Player Statistics by Season! Season !! Games Played !! Minutes Per Game !! FG% !! FT% !! Rebounds Per Game !! Assists Per Game !! Steals Per Game !! Blocks Per Game !! Turnovers Per Game !! Fouls Per Game !! Points Per Game
2024-2025 10 26.0 57 75 9.1 1.6 0.9 1.4 2.7 2.0 12.9
2023-2024 27 20.9 59 64 6.2 0.5 1.4 0.5 1.6 2.8 9.6
2022-2023 16 13.0 82 80 4.4 0.4 0.7 0.3 1.0 2.4 5.0
2021-2022 17 19.6 51 72 5.7 0.5 1.2 0.3 1.5 2.5 6.2
2020-2021 36 17.1 54 77 5.9 0.7 1.0 0.2 1.1 2.0 5.2
2019-2020 6 3.1 50 100 1.5 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.5 0.7 1.3
2018-2019 6 1.9 75 0 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.7 1.0
2017-2018 5 1.3 50 0 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4

Personal life

Harrison's family hail from the Coromandel in New Zealand, with roots in the Ngāti Porou and Ngāpuhi iwi.

Harrison and his partner, fellow basketball player Kalani Purcell, had their first child in 2023.[21]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tyrell Harrison . NBL . November 4, 2024.
  2. News: Cormack . Michael . Logan teen Tyrell Harrison impresses on Brisbane Bullets debut in front of home crowd . 21 November 2024 . couriermail.com.au . 27 September 2017.
  3. News: Cormack . Michael . Logan teen Tyrell Harrison impresses on Brisbane Bullets debut in front of home crowd . 21 November 2024 . couriermail.com.au . 27 September 2017.
  4. News: Bullet Big Reveals Career-Saving Surgery . 21 November 2024 . NBL Official Website . 25 November 2022.
  5. News: Tyrell Harrison re-signs to continue Bullets journey . 21 November 2024 . Brisbane Bullets Official NBL Website . 6 March 2023.
  6. News: Bullets Lose Key Big Men . 21 November 2024 . NBL Official Website . 26 November 2022.
  7. News: Tyrell Harrison Extends Contract With Brisbane Bullets For Two Years . 21 November 2024 . Brisbane Bullets Official NBL Website . 29 September 2024.
  8. News: Tyrell Harrison named Blitz MVP . 21 November 2024 . NBL Official Website . 13 September 2024.
  9. News: Harrison shines for unbeaten Bullets at NBL Blitz . 21 November 2024 . ESPN.com . 14 September 2024 . en.
  10. News: Bullets prevail to send Phoenix to 0-5 . 21 November 2024 . NBL Official Website . 12 October 2024.
  11. News: Pike . Chris . Schueller proud of Bullets for self-reflection . 21 November 2024 . authory.com . 14 October 2024.
  12. Web site: Tyrell Harrison, Basketball Player, News, Stats - australiabasket . Eurobasket LLC . 21 November 2024 . subscription.
  13. Web site: SEASON'S BEST CELEBRATED AT ANNUAL AWARDS. nznbl.basketball. 19 July 2019. 19 July 2019. 19 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190719120439/https://www.nznbl.basketball/seasons-best-celebrated-at-annual-awards/. dead.
  14. Web site: 2020 QSL Teams – Southern Districts Spartans . basketballqld.com.au . 21 November 2024 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200920082612/https://basketballqld.com.au/2020-qsl-teams-southern-districts-spartans/ . 20 September 2020.
  15. News: Hinton . Marc . Tyrell Harrison standing tall for Franklin Bulls through impressive start to NBL . 21 November 2024 . Stuff.co.nz . 20 April 2023.
  16. News: Kiwi Ballers Worldwide - Men & Women in Australia (23-24) Basketball New Zealand . 21 November 2024 . nz.basketball . 6 December 2023 . en-AU.
  17. News: Heagney . George . Changes to Manawatū Jets squad as NBL gets under way . 21 November 2024 . Stuff.co.nz . 30 March 2024.
  18. Web site: 2024 NBL1 Awards Tracker. NBL1.com.au. 22 July 2024. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20240821033349/https://nbl1.com.au/article/2024-nbl1-awards-tracker. 21 August 2024.
  19. News: Hickey . Matt . Rising NBL and NCAA stars named as Emerging Boomers . 21 November 2024 . pickandroll.com.au . 22 June 2017 . en.
  20. Web site: Tyrell Harrison, (New Zealand) - Basketball Stats, Height, Age . www.fiba.basketball . 21 November 2024 . en . 21 November 2024.
  21. Web site: Tailor. Leena. Basketball stars Tyrell and Kelani's baby joy. nowtolove.co.nz. 18 May 2023. 31 May 2023.