Nuggets guard speaks on horrific situations involving two different brothers

To say it has been a tumultuous week for Michael Porter Jr. and his family would be a massive understatement. As the 25-year-old guard has been preparing to be a key player in the Nuggets playoff run and title defense he has been dealing with multiple off-court nightmares involving his family members.

In case you haven’t been following along, one of MPJ’s brothers, Jontay Porter was recently banned for life from the NBA for betting on games and other infractions related to gambling. Jontay was on a two-way contract with the Raptors, trying to latch on and make it in the league. But now that dream appears to be over forever.

Then on Friday, another brother of MPJ’s, Coban Porter was sentenced to six years in prison after striking and killing someone in a drunk driving incident. Both of Michael’s brothers have brought these horrible circumstances on themselves and there is nobody else to blame. MPJ has done absolutely nothing wrong, yet he’s the one who will have to face the music and answer questions about what his brothers have done.

I feel terrible for Michael, as nobody should have to deal with what he’s currently going through. I can only imagine where his mind is as he tries to navigate the everyday rigors of life as an NBA star, trying to help a contending team.

After a slow start to game one, MPJ finished strong, putting up 19 points and 8 rebounds to go along with 2 big blocked shots. If he was distracted by the off-court incidents, it didn’t show as he seemed locked in and focused on helping his team win a playoff game - which they did.

After the game, Porter Jr. faced the media and answered questions for the first time since Coban’s sentencing. He spoke in very graceful terms, reflecting on the situations that were obviously upsetting.

But he also explained how he has plenty of “brothers” inside the Nuggets locker room and he knows he has to be there for them. He said the team has rallied around him and his teammates reached out to him individually to check in.

These are certainly awful situations, but it’s good to see that it looks like Michael is taking a positive approach and using basketball as a way to refocus his energy. Hopefully, he is doing okay mentally, but the early returns seem promising as Porter has responded with a poise well beyond his years.