Michael Porter Jr. seemingly has not stopped talking in front of cameras since being traded by the Nuggets. He was never shy or afraid to comment during his time in Denver, and he had a controversy or two of his own. But since being dealt to the Nets, Porter Jr. has gone on a rampage with vlogs, podcasts, and various streaming appearances.
He has gone viral and been in the spotlight multiple times already, and for the most part, this hasn’t been positive attention or things that will reflect well on him or the Nets. In his latest spree of comments, he went on a stream hosted by PlayboyMax and said multiple things that struck a chord.
He had multiple statements that were disrespectful towards women and also made disparaging remarks towards homosexuals, saying it would “hurt my heart” to have a gay son. He also claimed that a boys' high school all-star team would beat the US Women’s Olympic team in a basketball game.
The stream was mostly unwatchable and cringeworthy, but the comments are going viral all over social media, painting MPJ in a pretty brutal light. A lot of these videos seem to be mostly riffing, but it’s pretty clear how Mike feels about various topics.
Amazing that MPJ was held in check in Denver
Again, MPJ had some controversial views and comments while in Denver, but overall, nothing beyond ruffling a few feathers, and certainly nothing close to what we’ve seen since the trade. Porter Jr. left the Nuggets on good terms for the most part.
He was a hard worker and someone who battled through injury and left it all on the court. He was a key contributor to the 2023 championship squad, and he has been a reliable part of an elite starting unit for years. Ultimately, his biggest weakness was his contract, and that’s as big a reason as any that he got traded.
Fans had no ill will towards Mike, and he should be honored in his return to Ball Arena. But these latest comments are just making it more and more clear how much of a distraction he could be. He has undoubtedly turned off a lot of fans with his opinions in recent weeks, likely many who supported him for years as a Nugget.
It’s sad to see it happen, and hopefully for his sake, the Nets are able to corral this and save him from himself. But if he keeps going down this path, it’s going to be hard for fans of any NBA team to defend him.