Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. sparked controversy this offseason with several comments he made during podcast appearances. During a recent appearance on Lonzo Ball's podcast, “Ball in the Family,” Porter Jr. revealed the Nets urged him to keep his more controversial opinions to himself.
“For the most part, I'm trying to chill. Especially during the season, I don't want to be on the internet for anything else other than basketball. I feel like that’s a summertime thing,” Porter Jr. said. ”Even the [Nets] organisation, we’ve just had conversations that they would appreciate it if I stayed clear of certain topics, you know what I mean? That’s why the WNBA thing, that's just a topic that is so sensitive nowadays. So I try to be aware of that.”
Nets General Manager Sean Marks said in September that the organisation spoke with Porter Jr. in the wake of his offseason media tour.
“Those conversations that myself and a group have had with Michael will remain internal,” Marks said. “I think this is, as Jordi [Fernández] alluded to, a new environment for him, a new market, new expectations, new roles, both on the court and in the locker room for him. So, I think he’s finding his way. I think we’ll basically leave it at that. He knows where the organization stands on certain issues and topics, and this market is a little different from where he was.”
Porter Jr. has consistently made headlines for his remarks about the WNBA. During an appearance with popular streamer Plaqueboymax, he insinuated that a McDonald's All-American high school boys team would blow out the WNBA All-Star team or the women's Olympic team. He's also commented on WNBA players' push for a pay raise, comparing their popularity to that of ping pong players.
Michael Porter Jr. opens up on controverisal offseason media tour
Those comments weren't the only ones to draw outrage. Porter Jr. has also said he would be hurt by having either a “thot daughter” or a “gay son” and that he tests his dates by bringing up Andrew Tate content.
During his appearance on Ball's show, Porter Jr. revealed he's now hesitant to appear on podcasts or streams other than his own. While the Nets forward holds controversial opinions, he said he feels hosts of other shows intentionally ask him about those subjects to boost engagement.
“A couple of things kind of just went viral, and then from there, people are like, Oh, he'll say whatever,” Porter Jr. said. “Then from there, when I get on the interview, they're purposely trying to ask certain things because they know I'm about to say what I really think. I was gonna be done getting on other people's podcasts. I was just going to do mine.”
“I don't know if I feel like I'm misunderstood, because I mean, you can take everything I say and it is what it is. That's what I think. And I feel like a lot of people probably agree with me, but there's a lot of people that disagree, and those are the loud ones. But there's a lot of people who agree with the things I say, it's just they're not really trying to say those things because it can come with some backlash.”
Porter Jr. has scaled back his own podcast and his guest spots on others during the season. His only appearances have come on Carmelo Anthony's show, “7PM in Brooklyn,” and Ball's podcast.
The 26-year-old is having a career-best start following his trade to the Nets, averaging 24.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists on 47/36/86 shooting splits.
