Michael Porter Jr. reveals how he revitalized career after injuries foiled ‘best in NBA’ expectations

Michael Porter Jr. had superstar expectations for himself when he entered the NBA. While he never reached those heights during his injury-riddled Denver Nuggets tenure, he’s making up for lost time with the Brooklyn Nets.

Porter Jr. has planted himself firmly in the All-Star conversation amid a breakout season as Brooklyn’s No. 1 option. After undergoing multiple back surgeries early in his career, the 27-year-old is more proud of his resilience than the numbers on his stat sheet.

“My expectation when I got drafted was to be the best player in the NBA. Injuries had their way with me, but I think determination and resilience have allowed me to be able to carve out a pretty valuable space in the NBA and play a lot of years,” Porter Jr. said. “But I think that was my expectation because I knew what I was capable of, and I had played against really good players my whole life. So what I’m doing now is not a shock to me. I think that doing it the way that I am post-injury, I think that’s a little bit more what I’m proud of. Because it’s not a surprise, but I have been through a lot in my career, and it does take a lot of hard work to stay resilient and available… I feel good, and I’m grateful that I get to play the game I love after everything.”

Michael Porter Jr. said he expected to be the best player in the NBA when he got drafted, but he’s proud of the role he's carved out post-injuries:

“My expectation was to be the best player in the NBA. Injuries had their way with me, but I think determination and resilience have… pic.twitter.com/Yj2ZMdntGd

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) January 5, 2026

Concerns about Porter Jr.’s back caused him to fall to the No. 14 pick in the 2018 draft. The 6-foot-10 forward missed his entire rookie season after undergoing his second back surgery and played only nine games in 2021-22 before undergoing a third surgery.

However, he emerged as one of the Nuggets’ most dependable players during the ensuing years, appearing in 220 out of 246 regular-season games.

Michael Porter Jr. continuing to defy odds during breakout season with Nets

Porter Jr. has credited his focus on his body and his work with psychotherapist Nicole Sachs for his improved health. He’s remained physically revitalized following his trade to the Nets.

“I think the thing he doesn’t get enough credit for is that he plays,” Nuggets head coach David Adelman said before Sunday’s Nets-Nuggets matchup. “With the injuries he’s had, I just don’t think he gets enough credit for how tough he is. To see him, day in and day out, maintenance himself so he can be available, that was the most impressive thing to me.”

Following years as a complementary piece alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in Denver, Porter Jr. has stepped into the spotlight with Brooklyn. He’s elevated a Nets team many assumed would be one of the NBA’s worst to a respectable level.

Following a 0-7 start, the Nets have posted an 11-10 record with Porter Jr. in the lineup. He’s averaged 27.3 points (13th in NBA), 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 50/43/83 shooting splits during that span, with Jordi Fernandez crafting the team’s offense around his off-ball movement and shotmaking.

“I think that when an organization believes in you, and they reiterate confidence, and there’s positive attitudes and positive vibes, whether you win or lose or whether you have good games or bad games, that can change a whole player’s production,” Porter Jr. said. ” It can change his confidence, especially as young players. Right now, we got a young a lot of young players that are shooting the ball well, playing well, and that comes from a coach instilling confidence. And I think Jordi and the whole Nets organization do a great job instilling confidence in players. It doesn’t matter if you make or miss a shot, he’s telling you keep shooting. When we watch film, he’ll he’ll probably get more upset with you if you didn’t take a shot than if you did.

“So, I think that when you’re constantly hearing that message, it can really help your confidence as a player. So, I mean, I’m in year seven or year eight, and I still feel the difference when a coach really believes in me and when they kind of second-guess the shots you take. So, I just think that Jordi and and the whole Nets organization has done a great job of that with me and with the whole team.”

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