Michael Porter Jr.

Michael Lamar Porter Jr. (born June 29, 1998), also known as "MPJ", is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Missouri Tigers. Porter was ranked as one of the top prospects in the class of 2017.[1][2][3] He was selected 14th overall by the Nuggets in the 2018 NBA draft, winning his first NBA championship with them in 2023.

Michael Porter Jr.
Porter with the Denver Nuggets in 2020
No. 1 – Denver Nuggets
PositionSmall forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1998-06-29) June 29, 1998
Columbia, Missouri, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeMissouri (2017–2018)
NBA draft2018: 1st round, 14th overall pick
Selected by the Denver Nuggets
Playing career2018–present
Career history
2018–presentDenver Nuggets
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA Americas U18 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2016 Chile National team

High school career

Porter attended Father Tolton Regional Catholic High School in Columbia, Missouri, before transferring to Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Washington, for his senior year. His father, Michael Porter Sr., was hired by the University of Washington to be an assistant coach; former NBA player Brandon Roy was the coach of Nathan Hale's basketball team.[4][5]

In Porter's junior season at Father Tolton, he led the team to the 2A State Championship.[6] In the 2016 summer, Porter joined Mokan Elite on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) averaging 26.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per game leading them to the Nike EYBL Peach Jam championship and was named Co-MVP alongside teammate and future NBA player Trae Young.[7]

In his senior season, Porter averaged 36.2 points and 13.6 rebounds as he helped his high school team earn a perfect 29–0 record and win the Washington Class 3A State Championship.[8] He recorded 52 points and 23 rebounds in a blowout victory over Seattle Prep on senior night.[9] Porter was rated as a five-star recruit and ranked as one of the top overall recruits in his class by Rivals.com and ESPN.[3][2]

On March 29, 2017, Porter was named MVP at the McDonald's All-American Game leading the West in a 109–107 win over the East team.[10] Porter also participated in the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit, leading Team USA to a 98–87 victory over the World Select Team with 19 points in 23 minutes of play.[11]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Michael Porter Jr.
SF		 Columbia, MO Nathan Hale High School (WA) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Mar 24, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 97
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 2   Rivals: 1  ESPN: 2
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

College career

In July 2016, Porter originally committed to Washington.[12] After Lorenzo Romar was fired as Washington's head coach, Porter Sr. was hired as an assistant coach for the University of Missouri. Porter Jr. later decommitted from Washington.[13]

On March 24, 2017, Porter committed to play for Missouri, joining his father and his younger brother, Jontay Porter (who reclassified from the class of 2018).[14]

Porter was injured in the first half of the season opener against Iowa State. Porter was expected to miss the remainder of the 2017–18 season because of a lower back injury which required surgery.[15] On November 22, 2017, Porter had a successful microdiscectomy of his L3-L4 spinal discs.[16] On February 22, 2018, Porter Jr. was cleared to practice with Missouri again, with the potential to return to play before the end of the season. NBA executives were encouraging him to play if he was feeling healthy enough to do so.[17]

Porter would officially return to action on March 8, 2018 in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament.[18] Porter would also play in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, where the team lost to Florida State. In both games, however, Porter came off of the bench to play instead of starting as he had on opening night, mainly as a precaution. On March 27, Porter announced his intention to forgo his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility and declared for the 2018 NBA draft.[19]

Professional career

Denver Nuggets (2018–present)

On June 21, 2018, Porter was selected with the 14th overall pick by the Denver Nuggets.[20] He fell from a possible first overall pick to the 14th pick with the Nuggets due to reports regarding his health.[21] The Nuggets also discussed the possibility of having him sit out for his entire first season in the NBA in relation to his back problems.[22] On July 3, 2018, Porter signed a multi-year contract with the Nuggets.[23] On July 19, 2018, the Nuggets announced that Porter had undergone a second back surgery[24] and subsequently missed the entire season.

On October 31, 2019, Porter made his debut in NBA, coming off the bench with fifteen points, four rebounds and an assist in a 107–122 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.[25] On December 29, Porter made his first career start in the NBA, finishing with 19 points, along with six rebounds and an assist in 26 minutes in a 120–115 win over the Sacramento Kings.[26] He set a new career high with 25 points in 23 minutes just four days later in a win against the Indiana Pacers.[27] On August 4, 2020, returning from the suspension of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Porter Jr. led the Nuggets to their first victory in the Orlando bubble, scoring a then career-high 37 points in route to a 121–113 overtime win over Oklahoma City Thunder.[28]

On April 24, 2021, Porter scored a career-high 39 points in a 129–116 win over the Houston Rockets.[29]

On September 27, 2021, Porter and the Denver Nuggets agreed to a 5-year, $172 million rookie extension that will become $207 million if Porter is selected to an All-NBA Team.[30] On November 29, 2021, having appeared in only 9 games, Porter's agent Mark Bartelstein announced Porter would miss the remainder of the 2021–22 NBA season as he would be undergoing a third back surgery.[31]

In Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Porter Jr. put up 16 points and 13 rebounds in a 94–89 win over the Miami Heat to help the Nuggets win their first NBA championship in franchise history.[32]

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20 Denver 55816.4.509.422.8334.7.8.5.59.3
2020–21 Denver 615431.3.542.445.7917.31.1.7.919.0
2021–22 Denver 9929.4.359.208.5566.61.91.1.29.9
2022–23† Denver 616129.1.488.416.8005.51.0.6.517.5
Career 18613226.1.507.418.7975.91.1.6.615.2

Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020 Denver 19323.8.476.382.7436.7.8.7.311.4
2021 Denver 101033.2.474.397.8106.21.31.1.317.4
2023† Denver 202032.6.423.351.7938.11.6.5.613.4
Career 493329.3.452.372.7767.21.2.7.413.4

College
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2017–18 Missouri 3117.7.333.300.7786.7.31.0.310.0

Personal life

Porter is a Christian. He grew up as a vegetarian. In 2018, he changed his diet to raw vegan.[33] As of 2020, Porter is no longer vegetarian or vegan.[34]

In addition to younger brother Jontay, he has two older sisters named Bri and Cierra, along with 4 younger siblings.[35]

In 2017, Porter dated actress and model Madison Pettis.[36]

COVID-19 comments

In July 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Porter stated on Snapchat that he believed the disease was "being used obviously for a bigger agenda... for population control in just terms of being able to control the masses of people. I mean, because of the virus the whole world is being controlled." He added, "you're required to wear masks... and who knows what will happen when this vaccine comes out? You might have to have the vaccine in order to travel. Like, that would be crazy."[37] These remarks led to Porter being reprimanded by Snapchat, with the post being deleted for violating the app's content guidelines.[38][39] NBA commissioner Adam Silver also commented on the subject, saying "It's unfortunate that he said that. I would only say in our league, we have 450 players, guys are young. They're occasionally going to say silly things. I think most people quickly dismissed that comment." Nuggets coach Michael Malone let it be known that they would not "muzzle" their players and they would "just try to educate guys so that they understand the impact of what they may be saying."[39]

References
  1. "Michael Porter, Nathan Hale, Small Forward". 247Sports.
  2. "Michael Porter Jr. - Basketball Recruiting - Player Profiles - ESPN". ESPN.com.
  3. "Rivals.com". n.rivals.com.
  4. "Michael Porter Jr., Jontay transfer to Nathan Hale (Seattle) to play for new coach Brandon Roy". June 25, 2016.
  5. Jones, Daniel. "Michael and Jontay Porter leaving storied high school careers with move to Seattle".
  6. Jarvis, Will (March 12, 2016). "Tolton boys basketball wins first state championship". Columbia Missourian. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  7. "Peach Jam 2016 Co-MVP's: Mokan duo Trae Young & Michael Porter Jr". D1 Circuit. August 18, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  8. Evans, Jayda (March 4, 2017). "Nathan Hale finishes off perfect season with a flourish, beating Garfield for Class 3A state title". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  9. "Tuesday high school results: Nathan Hale crushes Seattle Prep as Michael Porter scores 52". Seattle Times. January 31, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  10. Jordan, Jason (March 29, 2017). "Michael Porter Jr wins MVP in McDonald's All-American Game Victory". USA Today. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  11. "LiveStats - USA vs World Select Team - Nike Hoop Summit". Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  12. "Top recruit Porter commits to play at Washington". ESPN.com. July 15, 2016.
  13. "Top basketball recruit Michael Porter Jr. commits to Washington instead of MU, other finalists".
  14. Borzello, Jeff (March 24, 2017). "No.1 prospect Michael Porter Jr commits to Missouri". ESPN. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  15. ESPN Newswire (November 21, 2017). "Michael Porter Jr. to have back surgery, likely out for rest of season". espn.com. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  16. "Porter Jr. Has Surgery". CBS Sports. CBS.
  17. Boone, Kyle (February 22, 2018). "Missouri freshman Michael Porter Jr. cleared for all basketball activities". CBSSports.com. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  18. Alex Scarborough (March 8, 2018). "Michael Porter Jr. off in return from back surgery". espn.com. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  19. Boone, Kyle (March 27, 2018). "2018 NBA Draft: Michael Porter Jr. declares after one injury-plagued year at Missouri". cbssports.com.com. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  20. "Report: Denver Nuggets draft pick Michael Porter Jr. uncertain for Summer League". NBA. June 23, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  21. Davis, Scott (June 22, 2018). "One of the top NBA prospects tumbled in the draft over fears about an injury and lost millions". Business Insider. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  22. "Report: Denver Nuggets draft pick Michael Porter Jr. uncertain for Summer League". NBA.com. June 23, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  23. "Denver Nuggets Sign Rookie Michael Porter Jr". NBA.com. July 3, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  24. Ward-Henninger, Colin (July 19, 2018). "Michael Porter Jr. has second back surgery, but Nuggets don't plan to sit him out for entire season, report says". CBSSports.com. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  25. "Pelicans beat Nuggets for first victory of season". ESPN.com. October 31, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  26. "Barton, Porter each score 19 as Nuggets beat Kings 120–115". www.ESPN.com. December 29, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  27. "Nuggets use second-half rally to win at Indiana 124–116". www.ESPN.com. January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  28. "Michael Porter Jr. scores career-high 37 to lead Nuggets to critical win over Thunder with three starters out". CBSSports.com.
  29. "Porter scores career-high 39 points, Nuggets beat Rockets". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 24, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  30. "Agent: Porter agrees to max deal with Nuggets". ESPN.com. September 27, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  31. "Michael Porter Jr. Out indefinitely after lumbar spine surgery". NBA.com.
  32. Pagaduan, Jedd (June 12, 2023). "Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.'s message to critics after winning NBA Finals despite struggles". ClutchPoints. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  33. Cason, Christopher (May 23, 2018). "The Real-Life Diet of Michael Porter Jr., Future NBA Lottery Pick and Raw Vegan". GQ. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  34. Andrews, Kendra. "'It was just so good': Michael Porter Jr. never ate meat until … it's bacon!". The Athletic. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  35. O'Donnell, Ricky (October 22, 2018). "Jontay Porter's ACL injury is devastating for these 4 reasons". SBNation.com.
  36. Smith, Cam (April 19, 2017). "Relationship between Michael Porter Jr and Madison Pettis getting more attention". USA Today. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  37. Youngmisuk, Ohm (July 29, 2020). "Nuggets talk to Porter about coronavirus theory". ESPN. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  38. "Michael Porter Jr. reprimanded by Snapchat for coronavirus comments". www.msn.com. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  39. "Snapchat, Nuggets warn Michael Porter Jr. after he spread coronavirus conspiracy". www.sportingnews.com. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
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