SUMMARY
- Michael Porter Jr. and Jontay Porter were seen exchanging jerseys following the Nuggets vs. Raptors game.
- The Porters previously competed alongside each other at the University of Missouri.
Michael Porter Jr. had another great night capped off with a victory for the Denver Nuggets. This team is trying their best to defend their title this season. MPJ has played a major role in uplifting the team on both sides of the floor. But their recent game against the Toronto Raptors probably meant a lot for the 25-year-old forward. His younger brother Jontay Porter currently plays for the Eastern Conference team.
Jontay and Michael Porter Jr. exchange jerseys after tonight’s matchup between the Nuggets and Raptors 💪pic.twitter.com/aCBbpJpTZs
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 12, 2024
Following the game, Michael and Jontay exchanged jerseys and were all smiles. The Porters were probably proud of where the brothers ended up. MPJ was responsible for setting up the finish for the Nuggets. With under 2 minutes left on the game clock, the Raptors were at 119-121. However, a sleek long pass from Jamal Murray to Porter Jr. for a three-pointer gave the Nuggets a sizeable lead for the win.
Jontay Porter played alongside Michael Porter Jr. at the University of Missouri
Michael Porter Jr. was the first one between the two brothers to achieve stardom. However, they grew up playing alongside each other and their father. Based on his run in high school, Michael was a top-tier athlete who initially committed to Washington. But he decommitted from Washington and enrolled in Missouri. In 2018, Jontay also committed to Missouri that year, and the brothers played alongside each other for a couple of games.
It wasn’t too long into the 2017-18 season that Michael Porter Jr. endured a severe back injury. He missed a good sum of games leaving Jontay to take his moment to shine. Porter Jr. eventually returned just in time to help Missouri compete in the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, the Tigers would lose to Florida State in the first round. Michael declared for the 2018 NBA Draft and was selected as the 14th overall pick by the Nuggets.
Michael Porter Jr. pushed Jontay Porter to live his dream
Michael Porter Jr. wasn’t the only one who battled through injuries during the initial stages of his career. Jontay Porter tore his ACL and MCL during a basketball scrimmage in October 2018. He missed his sophomore season but entered his name into the 2019 NBA Draft regardless. Jontay re-injured his ACL while recovering from the initial setback and things started to look grim for the budding star. As a result of it, the 24-year-old went undrafted.
The Memphis Grizzlies gave him a shot at stardom. But after only making 11 appearances, they waived him from the team. Michael pushed Jontay to pursue his dream. The latter said, “He just kept encouraging me ‘You got to give it another go. Gotta give it another go.’ He’s the one that kind of pulled the strings to get me a spot on that Summer League team.” He was taken into the Nuggets’ Summer League team and later found himself in the G League for about one and a half years. Now, Jontay plays for the Raptors on a two-way deal.