It never felt like the relationship between the Nuggets and Michael Porter Jr. was that sour during his six years in Denver, but he hasn’t stopped running his mouth since being traded. Obviously, trading him to Brooklyn didn’t help, but perhaps things were worse than they seemed, and both sides were more ready for a divorce than anyone realized.
The shots started firing almost immediately after the deal with MPJ raving about the Nets’ facilities and subtly making fun of what they had to work with in Denver. He keeps talking about how great things are in Brooklyn and how he plateaued with the Nuggets and the team was holding him back from reaching his full potential.
Now, in his most recent comments to the NY Post, Mike raved about how great everything is within the Nets organization, clearly insinuating everything that he felt - or at least, now feels - was wrong in Denver:
“I love the staff, I love the energy of practice. Everyone gets along and has great vibes and great energy around the facility. So whatever team wants and appreciates what I bring to the table, then that’s where I want to be. And I feel like they do here.”
MPJ clearly still holds grudge against Nuggets
While Mike isn’t taking any direct shots at the Nuggets, he has only played for two teams during his NBA career. He was drafted by Denver and spent his first six years there before being traded to the Nets a few months ago.
So, although he didn’t spell it out, he’s implying that he didn’t love the staff and the energy of practice in Denver. He obviously didn’t think everyone got along or that the vibes were great, and most clearly, he didn’t feel appreciated and didn’t think he was wanted in Denver.
Now, to be fair, he’s not completely wrong, as the Nuggets did choose to trade Mike, along with a very valuable first-round pick, to move on from his contract and make a borderline upgrade to Cam Johnson. So, some of his gripes are likely rooted in reality from his experiences.
But still, it’s a bit odd to hear this from a guy who was a key starter for the Nuggets for many years. The franchise took a chance on him and stuck with him despite numerous injuries, and helped him grow into the budding star player he is today. They also put him in a position to succeed, and he was able to win a championship in Denver.
You’d think he’d have less animosity and more appreciation, but that’s clearly not the case after being shipped out of town. Most people who follow the league would laugh at the idea of calling the Nets a better organization than the Nuggets, but one player with firsthand experience seems to feel that way.