Brooklyn Nets Michael Porter Jr. Finds Perspective Beyond Basketball

“The past couple of basketball seasons i just haven't been locked in on my faith. This offseason, I went out to Costa Rica by myself," Porter Jr. said. "It was a time for me to reflect on my life. I came to the conclusion that I always need to take a day for myself away from devices and reconnect.”

Last season, Porter Jr. played the most minutes of his career (33.7 minutes per game), averaging the second-most points (18.2 points per game) of his career while bringing down seven rebounds and dishing out 2.1 assists per game.

While he had a productive regular season, he did not finish the season on the best note. Through 14 playoff games, Porter Jr. averaged career-lows in points per game (9.1) and field-goal percentage (39.2%) before the Nuggets were ultimately eliminated by the eventual champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In the video, Porter Jr. explained that he aims to be more public with his struggles, and how he deals with them, because it might help other people get through a rough time.

“I struggle just like everybody else. You don't know what part of your story is going to inspire other people,” Porter Jr. said. “A lot of people who have the most in life are still unhappy. All of these earthly accolades don't amount to anything at the end of the day.”

Now entering his sixth NBA season, Porter Jr. has already earned a reputation as a reliable secondary/third scorer. But unlike the Nuggets, Brooklyn doesn't have an MVP-caliber player like Nikola Jokic, which means he will likely step into a role with higher expectations than he’s ever had.

As Porter Jr. reunites with Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, who spent several years with Porter Jr. in Denver, he will have the opportunity to establish himself as a team's top player for the first time in his career.