Michael Porter Jr., a player for the Denver Nuggets, has likely had a difficult and stressful week. His younger brother Jontay was banned from the NBA for life on Wednesday after violating gambling rules. This included betting against the Toronto Raptors while he was on the team this season. Two days later, Porter’s other younger brother Coban was sentenced to nine years in prison for killing a lady while driving under the influence.
Michael Porter Jr. opened up about his mental stress due to his family condition during a recent interview.
“Definitely tried to compartmentalize, some bad and sad stuff happened to a couple of my brothers, but I got, you know, 15, 16 more brothers in here, so I knew I had to be here for them and come in here and do my job and try to prepare to do it at a high level. To have these guys understand why I missed practice yesterday and just had my back has been big for me,” Michael Porter Jr. said during the interview.
Porter was not present at the Nuggets’ practice on Friday
Porter played in the Nuggets’ 114-103 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, scoring 19 points and eight rebounds. Following the game, he publicly discussed his family’s troubles. Porter finished with 19 points, 8 rebounds, one steal, and two blocks in 38 minutes of action.
The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets in game 1 on Saturday. Game 2 is on Monday. It will be exciting to see how the Lakers play after a defeat.
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Porter was absent at the Nuggets’ practice on Friday as he had to testify at his brother’s hearing. His brother Coban Porter had pleaded guilty to vehicular assault and vehicular homicide in February.
Porter was drafted by the Nuggets in 2018, but he missed most of his college season and his entire rookie season with the Nuggets due to back problems. He also missed most of the 2021-22 season due to a back issue that required additional surgery. However, he has now recovered and played a career-high 81 games for the defending champions this season.
Also Read: Nuggets Star Michael Porter Jr.’s Younger Brother Sentenced to Six Years in Prison
