Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr. Shares How He's Processing Brothers' NBA Ban, Prison Sentence

Patrick Andres | Apr 21, 2024

Apr 12, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) warms up. / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

For Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., it has likely been a harrowing, weighty week.

On Wednesday, one of Porter's younger brothers—Jontay—received a lifetime ban from the NBA for gambling-related offenses, including betting against the Toronto Raptors while he played for them this season. Two days later, Porter's younger brother Coban was sentenced to nine years in prison for killing a woman while driving under the influence.

Against this backdrop, Porter played for the Nuggets Saturday against the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 19 points and pulling down eight rebounds in a 114-103 win. After the game, he candidly addressed his family's issues.

"I definitely tried to compartmentalize. Some bad and sad stuff happened with a couple of my brothers, but I got 15 or 16 more brothers in here," Porter said.

I asked MPJ how he was able to compartmentalize what happened this week with his family and deliver 19 points and 8 boards in the Game 1 win. #Nuggets pic.twitter.com/Bp1yTyXav1

— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) April 21, 2024

Porter, 25, averaged 16.7 points per game in 81 games for Denver this season a year after winning his first NBA title.

"I knew I had to be there for (my team) and come in here and do my job and try to prepare to do it at a high level," Porter said, adding that his teammates had expressed their support going forward.