Nets ahead Michael Porter Jr. drew viral consideration this summer time for the incorrect causes, making a sequence of controversial feedback on his podcast and through appearances on influencer streams.
As anticipated, each Porter and the staff’s entrance workplace have been requested to handle the difficulty when Media Day opened Tuesday in Brooklyn.
“Those conversations that myself and a group have had with Michael will remain internal,” common supervisor Sean Marks mentioned. “I think this is, as Jordi [Fernández] alluded to, a new environment for him, a new market, new expectations, new roles, both on the court and in the locker room for him. So, I think he’s finding his way. I think we’ll basically leave it at that. He knows where the organization stands on certain issues and topics, and this market is a little different from where he was.”
In a livestream with influencer PlaqueBoyMax, Porter mentioned having both a “thot daughter” or a “gay son” would “hurt” him, feedback that drew accusations of homophobia and misogyny. He additionally claimed a McDonald’s All-American boys’ staff might beat WNBA All-Stars, sparking backlash for belittling ladies’s basketball.
Porter didn’t retract his remarks Tuesday however mentioned he’s the WNBA’s “biggest fan,” pointing to 2 sisters who “beat [him] every single day at basketball” as youngsters. He added that launching a podcast was his option to share extra of himself publicly.
“I think it’s important for players to be able to kind of have a say in their own narrative,” Porter mentioned. “That was part of it. I’ve had a podcast for a while, so it’s nothing new… And obviously it took off a little bit and people paid attention to it, but there was nothing that really inspired it. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I got traded, now let me get on this podcast.’”
For now, the episode appears resolved internally, with the expectation that Porter takes classes from it. After addressing the off-court chatter, the main focus shifted to the season forward, the place the 27-year-old will probably be counted on to offer veteran management for a younger, rebuilding Nets staff.
Not the spot-up possibility parked in Denver’s corners whereas Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray orchestrated their two-man recreation, Porter arrived in Brooklyn with better expectations. After averaging 18.2 factors, 7.0 rebounds and a couple of.1 assists in 77 video games final season, the 2023 NBA champion is being thrust right into a featured position — and with that comes the strain to develop his recreation.
“Me personally, I’m embracing that role as a leader, and having won at the highest level and played in the playoffs every year that I’ve been in the NBA, I think not just on the court, but also off the court, in the film sessions, I’ll be able to share some things with these young guys and hopefully it will kind of speed up the process for everybody,” Porter mentioned.
Porter entered the NBA with the pedigree of a No. 2 nationwide recruit, having served because the go-to scorer on practically each staff he performed for. Denver provided a unique actuality, one the place he thrived in a complementary position. Brooklyn poses a brand new check: tapping again into that alpha scoring presence whereas sharing the ground with Cam Thomas, the Nets’ high scorer a 12 months in the past.
Owed $79.6 million over the following two seasons, Porter has a window to point out each the Nets and the league he’s definitely worth the funding. How he fares might both push Brooklyn’s rebuild ahead or form the marketplace for his subsequent deal.
“You saw glimpses when Jamal would be out and I was asked to do a little bit more and I was capable of doing it, but I definitely think the harder thing will be going from that to this,” Porter mentioned. “It’s going to take a whole new level of focus for me, another level of intentionality with my workouts and conditioning and my recovery as well. The load will be a lot different. There will be less standing in the corner for me… So, it’s going to take a level of being in shape that I probably have never been in.”
Brooklyn hasn’t determined the place Porter suits in its long-term blueprint, however Marks likes the early indicators. He pointed to Porter’s measurement and taking pictures as a pure match, whereas cautioning that coaching camp will finally reveal how his aggressive spirit and persona mix with the staff.
Porter’s present relationship with Fernández, constructed throughout their time collectively in Denver, ought to assist ease the transition. That familiarity provides him a way of consolation as he adjusts to a brand new staff and metropolis.
“I look at that as being big for me, just coming to a new city, feeling a little bit of being overwhelmed, just to have a guy as a head coach that I worked with every day, someone like Jordi,” Porter mentioned. “It’s good to see him in this role as a head coach, because you can tell this is where he belongs. Jordi as an assistant coach and Jordi as a head coach are the same dude, but the culture he’s trying to create here is really awesome and I’m really excited to play for him.”
