Michael Porter Jr.

Smooth and highly talented Denver Nuggets forward who overcame serious injury to help win the franchise's first NBA Championship in 2023.

Michael Lamar Porter Jr. was born on 29 June 1998 in Indianapolis, Indiana, into one of basketball's deepest family basketball trees: his father, Michael Porter Sr., played college basketball at the University of New Orleans before becoming a coach, and his mother, Lisa, was a two-time captain and All-Big Ten selection at the University of Iowa, once averaging an extraordinary 58.7 points per game as a high school senior in Cedar Rapids. Michael is one of eight siblings, several of whom also played college or professional basketball, including younger brother Jontay. Porter attended Father Tolton Regional Catholic High School in Columbia, Missouri, before transferring to Nathan Hale High School in Seattle for his senior year, where his father had taken an assistant coaching job, and was named national high school player of the year in 2017. Porter played one injury-shortened season at the University of Missouri before the Denver Nuggets selected him 14th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. After recovering from serious back surgeries, he developed into one of the league's most efficient scorers and shooters, helping the Nuggets win the 2023 NBA championship. Porter, nicknamed "MPJ," has spoken candidly about his mixed-race identity, encouraging others not to let themselves be boxed in by others' expectations. He was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2025, continuing his career after establishing himself as one of the most gifted shooters of his generation to emerge from a family steeped in the sport.

Skilled shooter and scorer with good size, effective from three-point range

Key contributor to Denver's 2023 championship run, overcoming early injury concerns

• NBA Champion 2023