Michael Porter Jr. facts for kids
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Porter with the Denver Nuggets in 2020
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| No. 17 – Brooklyn Nets | ||||||||||||||
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| Small forward | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | June 29, 1998 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
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| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 218 lb (99 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Missouri (2017–2018) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2018 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Denver Nuggets | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2018–present | |||||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–2025 | Denver Nuggets | |||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Brooklyn Nets | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Michael Lamar Porter Jr. (born June 29, 1998), often called "MPJ", is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Brooklyn Nets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Missouri Tigers. Michael was considered one of the best young players in 2017. The Denver Nuggets chose him as the 14th pick in the 2018 NBA draft. He helped the Nuggets win their first NBA championship in 2023.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Michael Porter Jr. started high school at Father Tolton Regional Catholic High School in Columbia, Missouri. For his final year, he moved to Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Washington. His father, Michael Porter Sr., became an assistant coach at the University of Washington. Former NBA player Brandon Roy coached the Nathan Hale basketball team.
High School Success
In his junior year at Father Tolton, Michael led his team to win the 3A State Championship. In the summer of 2016, he played for Mokan Elite. He averaged 26.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. He helped his team win the Nike EYBL Peach Jam championship. He was also named Co-MVP with future NBA player Trae Young.
During his senior year, Michael averaged 36.2 points and 13.6 rebounds. He helped Nathan Hale High School achieve a perfect 29–0 record. They also won the Washington Class 3A State Championship. In one game, he scored 52 points and grabbed 23 rebounds. Experts like Rivals.com and ESPN rated him as a top five-star recruit.
National Recognition
On March 29, 2017, Michael was named MVP at the McDonald's All-American Game. He led the West team to a 109–107 victory. He also played in the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit. There, he scored 19 points in 23 minutes, helping Team USA win 98–87.
College Career at Missouri
In July 2016, Michael first decided to play for the University of Washington. However, after the Washington coach was fired, his father became an assistant coach at the University of Missouri. Michael then changed his mind and decided to play for Missouri.
On March 24, 2017, Michael officially committed to Missouri. He joined his father and his younger brother, Jontay Porter, who also decided to play for Missouri a year early.
Injury and Return
Michael got injured in the first game of the season against Iowa State. He had a back injury that needed surgery. On November 22, 2017, he had a successful back surgery. It was thought he might miss the rest of the season.
However, on February 22, 2018, Michael was cleared to practice again. He returned to play on March 8, 2018, in the SEC tournament quarterfinals. He also played in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. After the season, on March 27, Michael announced he would leave college early to enter the 2018 NBA draft.
Professional Basketball Career
Denver Nuggets (2018–2025)
The Denver Nuggets picked Michael as the 14th overall player in the 2018 NBA draft. Some teams were worried about his back problems, which caused him to be drafted later than expected. On July 3, 2018, he signed a contract with the Nuggets. However, on July 19, 2018, the Nuggets announced Michael had a second back surgery. This meant he missed his entire first season in the NBA.
NBA Debut and Early Success
On October 31, 2019, Michael made his NBA debut. He scored 15 points coming off the bench. On December 29, he started his first NBA game, scoring 19 points. Just four days later, he set a new career high with 25 points. On August 4, 2020, after the season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael scored a career-high 37 points. This helped the Nuggets win their first game in the Orlando bubble.
On April 24, 2021, Michael scored another career-high of 39 points in a win against the Houston Rockets.
Injuries and Championship
On September 27, 2021, Michael signed a large contract extension with the Denver Nuggets. He was expected to be a key scorer for the team. However, on November 29, 2021, after playing only 9 games, Michael had to have a third back surgery. He missed the rest of the 2021–22 NBA season.
In Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals, Michael scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. This helped the Nuggets win 94–89 against the Miami Heat. It was the Nuggets' first NBA championship in their history.
On March 21, 2024, Michael scored 31 points. He also made his 193rd three-pointer of the season. This broke the Nuggets' record for most three-pointers made in a single season. On November 10, 2024, Michael scored 17 points and made the game-winning shot against the Dallas Mavericks. On February 3, 2025, he scored 36 points against the New Orleans Pelicans. Two days later, on February 5, he tied his career high with 39 points and had 12 rebounds against the same team. The next day, he scored 30 points against the Orlando Magic. He became the first Nuggets player to have three straight games with 30+ points and 5+ three-pointers.
Brooklyn Nets (2025–present)
On July 8, 2025, Michael Porter Jr. was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. He was traded along with a future draft pick in exchange for Cameron Johnson.
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Denver | 55 | 8 | 16.4 | .509 | .422 | .833 | 4.7 | .8 | .5 | .5 | 9.3 |
| 2020–21 | Denver | 61 | 54 | 31.3 | .542 | .445 | .791 | 7.3 | 1.1 | .7 | .9 | 19.0 |
| 2021–22 | Denver | 9 | 9 | 29.5 | .359 | .208 | .556 | 6.6 | 1.9 | 1.1 | .2 | 9.9 |
| 2022–23† | Denver | 62 | 62 | 29.0 | .487 | .414 | .800 | 5.5 | 1.0 | .6 | .5 | 17.4 |
| 2023–24 | Denver | 81 | 81 | 31.7 | .484 | .397 | .836 | 7.0 | 1.5 | .5 | .7 | 16.7 |
| 2024–25 | Denver | 77 | 77 | 33.7 | .504 | .395 | .768 | 7.0 | 2.1 | .6 | .5 | 18.2 |
| Career | 345 | 291 | 29.1 | .500 | .406 | .795 | 6.4 | 1.4 | .6 | .6 | 16.2 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Denver | 19 | 3 | 23.7 | .476 | .382 | .743 | 6.7 | .8 | .7 | .3 | 11.4 |
| 2021 | Denver | 10 | 10 | 33.2 | .474 | .397 | .810 | 6.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 | .3 | 17.4 |
| 2023† | Denver | 20 | 20 | 32.6 | .423 | .351 | .793 | 8.1 | 1.6 | .5 | .6 | 13.4 |
| 2024 | Denver | 12 | 12 | 36.9 | .466 | .407 | .769 | 6.8 | 1.1 | .9 | .8 | 15.8 |
| 2025 | Denver | 14 | 14 | 31.1 | .392 | .343 | .714 | 5.5 | .6 | .6 | .4 | 9.1 |
| Career | 75 | 59 | 30.9 | .446 | .374 | .768 | 6.8 | 1.1 | .7 | .5 | 13.0 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Missouri | 3 | 1 | 17.7 | .333 | .300 | .778 | 6.7 | .3 | 1.0 | .3 | 10.0 |
Personal Life
Michael Porter Jr. is a Christian. He used to be a vegetarian and then a raw vegan. As of 2020, he no longer follows those diets.
He has two older sisters, Bri and Cierra, and four younger siblings. His brothers also played basketball in college. In 2017, Michael dated actress and model Madison Pettis.
On September 10, 2023, Michael visited Taiwan. He threw out the first pitch at a CTBC Brothers baseball game.
See also
In Spanish: Michael Porter Jr. para niños
- List of NBA career 3-point field goal percentage leaders
