Michael Porter Jr. has been going through a tough time coping with the turmoil involving his brothers. However, his extended family, the Denver Nuggets’ support gave him the strength to handle the setbacks.
Amid all the family issues, MPJ shared the current state of mind he is in right now. During a post-game interview, he said, “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.”
Michael Porter Jr. speaks on the emotional time his family is dealing with:
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 21, 2024
“some bad and sad stuff happening with a couple of my brothers. But I've got, you know 15, 16 more brothers in here. I knew I had to be here for them.”
(via @TroyRenck)pic.twitter.com/GNUyTtozJY
For those who are wondering what exactly happened, his brother, Coban, has been sentenced to six years in prison for killing a 42-year-old lady Uber driver while rashly driving in a drunken state. The incident took place last year in Colorado. Two months ago, Coban confessed his crime of vehicular homicide and assault.
The recent hearing of his case was on Friday when Michael visited the court to testify for his younger brother. He had to miss the Nuggets practice session for that before their playoff Game 1 against the Lakers. His testimony wasn’t enough to save his brother though, who was handed a 6-year prison sentence.
This was not it for the Nuggets forward, as two days before the sentencing, his other sibling Jontay Porter was banned from the league for engaging in gambling.
Showing gratitude towards his Nuggets teammates, MPJ said, “To have these guys understand why I missed practice yesterday and just had my back has been big for me.”
Even the team’s superstar, Nikola Jokic, extended his support and stated that the franchise members are his extended family who will always help him out. The Serbian further added that though it was hard for Michael, once he was on the floor nothing could stop him from doing what he does best and that is play the game.
Michael Porter Jr. contributes to Nuggets win over Lakers
Facing the LeBron James-led Lakers is no easy job, and that the Denver franchise is aware of. Even though Michael Porter Jr. is torn between his family issues, the forward displayed his dedication to the sport with a performance worthy of the Jokic supporting cast.
During the 38-minute presence on the hardwood, it didn’t seem like Porter had missed the practice a day before the game. He bagged 19 points, out of which were three stunning 3-pointers. The 25-year-old attempted 15 shots from the floor but 7 of them refused to reach their mark. Porter missed recording a double-double score as he was two rebounds shorter.
His performance shows the exceptional stability that the reigning NBA champion has, and his contribution helped in securing a 114-103 victory against the Lakers to lead the series from the get-go.
