Kevin Porter Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kevin Porter Jr.

Porter in 2019
No. 77 – Los Angeles Clippers
Point guard / shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(2000-05-04) May 4, 2000 (age 25) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
High school	Rainier Beach (Seattle, Washington)
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	203 lb (92 kg)
Career information
College	USC (2018–2019)
NBA Draft	2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 30th overall
Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
Pro career	2019–present
League	NBA
Career history
2019–2021	Cleveland Cavaliers
2021–2023	Houston Rockets
2021	→Rio Grande Valley Vipers
2024	PAOK
2024–present	Los Angeles Clippers
Career highlights and awards
All-NBA G League First Team (2021) NBA G League scoring leader (2021) NBA G League assists leader (2021) Washington Mr. Basketball (2018)

Bryan Kevin Porter Jr. (born May 4, 2000), often called KPJ, is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the USC Trojans.

Growing Up

Kevin Porter Jr. was born in Seattle, Washington. He was raised by his mother in South Seattle after his father passed away when Kevin was four years old. His mother became a very important role model for him.

High School Basketball Star

Kevin convinced his mother to let him go to Rainier Beach High School. His father had played sports there, and Kevin wanted to continue that family tradition. In his final year of high school, he was amazing on the court. He scored an average of 27 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and made five assists per game.

His team, Rainier Beach, finished the season with a strong record of 22 wins and 7 losses. On March 3, 2018, Kevin scored 22 points and had 11 rebounds in a state championship game. Even though his team lost to Garfield High School, he was recognized for his talent. At the end of the season, state coaches named him Washington Mr. Basketball. This award goes to the best high school basketball player in Washington state.

Becoming a Top Recruit

After high school, Kevin was a highly sought-after player for college basketball. Recruiting services like 247Sports and Rivals rated him as a five-star recruit. ESPN called him a four-star recruit. He was considered the best player from Washington in his class of 2018.

Many top NCAA Division I teams wanted him to play for them. These included UCLA, Oregon, and Washington. In the end, Kevin decided to commit to USC. He was the first USC player since DeMar DeRozan in 2008 to be rated a five-star recruit by Rivals.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Kevin Porter Jr. SG	Seattle, WA	Rainier Beach (WA)	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Jul 2, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 89
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 16  247Sports: 27  ESPN: 40
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Basketball Journey

Kevin Porter Jr. played his first game for USC on November 6, 2018. He scored 15 points coming off the bench in a win against Robert Morris. Later that month, he got a quad injury. He tried to return in December but had to leave the game early because of the injury.

He missed nine games due to this injury. When he returned on January 10, 2019, he scored five points in 25 minutes. A few days later, he faced some challenges off the court and was suspended by USC for a period. Despite this, Kevin finished the season with the team. He played in 21 of USC's 33 games. On average, he scored 9.8 points, grabbed four rebounds, and made 1.4 assists in 22 minutes per game.

After his first year, Kevin decided to leave college early to enter the 2019 NBA draft.

Joining the NBA

Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers

In the 2019 NBA draft, Kevin Porter Jr. was picked 30th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. However, he was quickly traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers through the Detroit Pistons. On July 3, 2019, the Cavaliers officially signed him.

Kevin made his NBA debut on October 23, 2019, in a game against the Orlando Magic. He had one rebound, two assists, and a steal in that game. On November 4, he was suspended for one game for accidentally making contact with a game official. His first time starting a game for the Cavaliers was on November 19 against the New York Knicks. In that game, he scored a career-high 18 points in 31 minutes.

Kevin Porter Jr. playing for the Cavaliers.

Kevin did not play any games for the Cavaliers in the 2020–21 season. On January 18, 2021, the Cavaliers decided to trade or release him after a disagreement with his team. Three days later, he was traded to the Houston Rockets.

Time with the Houston Rockets

On January 21, 2021, Kevin Porter Jr. was traded to the Houston Rockets. He was then sent to the Rockets' G League team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He played his first game for the Vipers on February 10, 2021. On February 25, he achieved a "triple-double" in the G League. This means he had 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists in one game.

After his impressive performance in the G-League, the Rockets called Kevin back to their main team on March 6. He made his official debut with the Rockets on March 11, 2021. In that game, he scored 13 points, made ten assists, and grabbed five rebounds. On April 29, he had an amazing game, scoring 50 points and making 11 assists in a win against the Milwaukee Bucks. This made him the youngest player in NBA history to have 50+ points and 10+ assists in a single game. By the end of that season, he had played 26 games with the Rockets. He averaged 16.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game.

On January 1, 2022, Kevin faced a suspension for a disagreement with a coach and a teammate. On March 31, 2022, he achieved his first triple-double with the Rockets. He scored 30 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and made 12 assists in a game against Sacramento.

Porter with the Rockets.

On October 17, 2022, Kevin signed a four-year contract extension with the Rockets. On March 23, 2023, he recorded his second triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game against Memphis. On October 17, 2023, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but was then waived (released) by them.

Playing in Greece: PAOK Thessaloniki

On April 2, 2024, Kevin Porter Jr. signed with a Greek basketball club called PAOK. He played for them for the rest of their season. In 6 games, he averaged 22 points, 9.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 2.8 steals in about 39 minutes per game. He even achieved a triple-double against Panathinaikos in the Greek Basket League playoffs. This was the first triple-double in the history of those playoffs!

Joining the Los Angeles Clippers

On July 10, 2024, Kevin Porter Jr. signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. He is now playing for them.

How He Plays Basketball

Porter dunking over Dzanan Musa of the Brooklyn Nets.

Kevin Porter Jr. is 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 meters) tall and has a long wingspan of 6 feet 9 inches (2.05 meters). He can play both the point guard and shooting guard positions. When he's on offense, he's very good at playing one-on-one against defenders. He's also very athletic, which helps him score from anywhere on the court. He can shoot from far away, score close to the basket, and is great in fast breaks.

His excellent ball-handling skills allow him to create space from defenders. He can then shoot a step-back jumper or a pull-up shot after a dribble move. Scouts have also noted his strong defense and rebounding skills. He is good at forcing turnovers and quickly moving the ball down the court.

When he was entering the NBA draft, experts compared him to other talented players like James Harden. Kevin looks up to James Harden, who is also a left-handed guard, and says Harden has greatly influenced his game. Experts have suggested he could improve his shot choices, how many assists he gets compared to turnovers, and his free-throw shooting.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

College

Images for kids

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  Porter in 2019

See also

In Spanish: Kevin Porter Jr. para niños