Kevin Porter Jr.

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"KPJ" redirects here. For Komunistička partija Jugoslavije, see League of Communists of Yugoslavia.

Kevin Porter Jr.
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight203 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High schoolRainier Beach
(Seattle, Washington)
CollegeUSC (2018–2019)
NBA draft2019: 1st round, 30th overall pick
Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–2021Cleveland Cavaliers
2021–2023Houston Rockets
2021→ Rio Grande Valley Vipers
2024–presentPAOK
Career highlights and awards
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com

Bryan Kevin Porter Jr. (born May 4, 2000), also known by his initials KPJ, is an American professional basketball player for PAOK of the Greek Basket League (GBL). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans.

Early life

Porter was born in Seattle, Washington, to Ayanna and Bryan Kevin Porter Sr.[1] Porter Sr. was convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of a 14-year-old girl in 1993 and later died in a shooting in 2004 when Porter Jr. was four years old.[2][3] As a result, Porter Jr. was raised by his mother, who became his role model.[4][5]

High school career

Porter convinced his mother to enroll him at Rainier Beach High School instead of O'Dea High School in Seattle, because his father had played sports there and he wanted to preserve the tradition. In his senior campaign, he averaged 27 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists, as Rainier Beach finished with a 22–7 record.[1] On March 3, 2018, Porter recorded 22 points and 11 rebounds in a Class 3A state championship game loss to Garfield High School.[6] At the end of the season, he was named Washington Mr. Basketball by the state coaches association.[7]

Recruiting

Porter was considered a five-star

247Sports and Rivals and a four-star recruit by ESPN.[8][9][10] He was the top-ranked player from Washington in the 2018 class and received offers from several NCAA Division I programs, including UCLA, Oregon, and Washington, before committing to USC.[8][11] Porter became the first USC player since DeMar DeRozan in 2008 to be rated a five-star recruit by Rivals.[1]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Kevin Porter Jr.
SG 		Seattle, WA Rainier Beach (WA) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Jul 2, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN grade: 89
Overall recruiting rankings:   
247Sports: 27  ESPN
: 40
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "USC 2018 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  • "2018 USC Trojans Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.

College career

Porter debuted for USC on November 6, 2018, scoring 15 points off the bench on 6-of-7 shooting in an 83–62 win over

Missouri State, he suffered a quadriceps contusion. He returned on December 1 versus Nevada but left after four minutes because he was hindered by the injury.[13] He missed nine games with a quad contusion, and returned again on January 10, 2019, scoring five points in 25 minutes.[14]

Three days later he was suspended indefinitely by USC for "personal conduct issues".[15] Regardless, Porter stated that he would finish the season with the team[16] and then played in the last three games of the season. He averaged 9.8 points, four rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 22 minutes a game, playing in 21 of USC's 33 games.[17]

At the conclusion of his freshman season, Porter announced his intention to forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility and declare for the 2019 NBA draft.

Professional career

Cleveland Cavaliers (2019–2021)

In the 2019 NBA draft, Porter was selected 30th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks but was later traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers via the Detroit Pistons.[18][19] On July 3, 2019, the Cleveland Cavaliers announced that they had signed Porter.[20] On October 23, Porter made his debut in the NBA, playing in a 85–94 loss to the Orlando Magic and finishing with one rebound, two assists, and a steal.[21] On November 4, Porter was suspended for one game without pay for improperly making contact with a game official.[22] His first NBA start for the Cavaliers came on November 19 against the New York Knicks in a 123–105 loss, where he recorded a then career-high 18 points in 31 minutes.[23]

Porter started the 2020–21 season inactive due to his off-season weapons charge, which was later dropped.[24] On January 18, 2021, the Cavaliers announced that Porter would either be traded or released following an outburst regarding a locker change following the Cavaliers' acquisition of Taurean Prince from the Brooklyn Nets. He was traded to the Rockets three days later, having not played a single game with the Cavaliers in the 2020–21 season.[25]

Houston Rockets (2021–2023)

On January 21, 2021, Porter was traded to the Houston Rockets for a future top-55 protected second round pick.[26][27] He was later assigned to the Rockets' G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, debuting for the Vipers in their season opener on February 10, 2021. On February 25, he recorded the first triple-double of the G League season, scoring 27 points, collecting 11 rebounds and dishing out 14 assists.[28] On March 6, the Rockets officially recalled Porter from the Vipers after an impressive performance in the G-League.[29]

Porter made his official debut with the Rockets on March 11, 2021, contributing 13 points, ten assists and five rebounds in a game lost against the Sacramento Kings.[30] On April 28, Porter was fined $50,000 for violating the league's Health and Safety Protocols.[31] In the next following day after the incident, he scored 50 points and recorded 11 assists in a win against the Milwaukee Bucks, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to have 50+ points and 10+ assists in a game.[32] By the end of the regular season, Porter had only played 26 games with the Rockets due to the many conflicts he was dealing with, averaging 16.6 points, 6.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 turnovers per game.

On January 1, 2022, during a 111–124 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Porter and teammate Christian Wood got into a verbal altercation with Rockets assistant coach John Lucas at halftime. Porter then threw an object into the locker room and left the Toyota Center, the arena where the Rockets were playing, before the game ended.[33] On January 3, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas stated that he had suspended both Porter and Wood for one game each for their behavior.[34] On March 31, 2022, he recorded his first triple double with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in a 121–118 loss against Sacramento.

Porter with the Rockets

On October 17, 2022, Porter agreed on a four-year, $82.5 million contract extension with the Rockets.[35] On March 23, 2023, he recorded his second triple double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 130–125 loss against Memphis.

On October 17, 2023, Porter was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder following his domestic assault charge.[36] However, he was waived after the trade was completed.[37]

PAOK (2024–present)

On April 2, 2024, Porter Jr. signed with Greek club PAOK for the rest of the season.[38]

Player profile

Dzanan Musa of the Brooklyn Nets

Standing at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 meters) with a 6 ft. 9 in. wingspan (2.05 m), Porter plays both the point guard and shooting guard positions. On offense, he possesses a strong isolation game that is complemented by a high level of athleticism that allows him to be an effective scorer on the perimeter, at and above the rim, and in transition.[39] His elite handling skills allow him to create space and defer to either a step-back jumper, a pull-up shot out of a crossover, or a behind-the-back dribble pull-back.[40][41] Scouts have pointed out his defense and rebounding abilities as another strength, forcing turnovers and running the ball down the court.

At the time of the draft, he was compared to DeShawn Stevenson, Nick Young, JR Smith, James Harden, C.J. Miles, and Kelly Oubre, Jr.[39][42][43][44] Since the start of the 2018–19 season, Porter was projected as a first-round prospect for the 2019 NBA draft.[45] He looks up to James Harden, a fellow left-handed guard, citing him as one of the biggest influences on his game.[17][46]

Analysts identified his shot selection, assist-to-turnover ratio, and foul-shooting as a point of improvement in his game in addition to other miscellaneous off-the-court concerns.[40]

Personal life

Weapons charge

On November 15, 2020, Porter Jr. was charged by

Mahoning County police following a single car accident for improper handling of a firearm in a vehicle. In a statement the Cleveland Cavaliers stated, "We are aware of the situation involving Kevin Porter Jr. and are in the process of gathering information. We have spoken with Kevin and will continue to address this privately with him as the related process evolves."[47]

A grand jury in Mahoning County declined to indict Porter on the felony gun charge. It was determined that both the vehicle and the gun belonged to his mother.[48] Misdemeanor charges of driving without a license were also dropped.[49]

Domestic violence charge

On September 11, 2023, Porter Jr. was arrested and charged by the

New York Police Department for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, Kysre Gondrezick.[50] Afterwards the Houston Rockets barred Porter from having any interaction with the team. After the Rockets traded Porter to the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 17, he was immediately waived by the Thunder.[51] On January 23, 2024, he accepted a plea deal with the NYPD, pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of reckless assault and a second-degree harassment violation.[52]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20 Cleveland 50 3 23.2 .442 .335 .723 3.2 2.2 .9 .3 10.0
2020–21 Houston 26 23 32.1 .400 .368 .734 3.8 6.3 .7 .3 16.6
2021–22 Houston 61 61 31.3 .415 .375 .642 4.4 6.2 1.1 .4 15.6
2022–23 Houston 59 59 34.3 .442 .366 .784 5.3 5.7 1.4 .3 19.2
Career 196 146 30.2 .431 .357 .725 4.3 5.0 1.1 .3 15.3

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 USC 21 4 22.1 .471 .412 .522 4.0 1.4 .8 .5 9.5

References

  1. ^ a b c "Kevin Porter Jr". University of Southern California Athletics. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  2. ^ "Wizards announcer apologizes to Kevin Porter Jr. For mistaken allusion to player's dead father". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  3. ^ "Wizards broadcaster makes shocking 'trigger' comment about Kevin Porter Jr.'s father, but was it a mix-up?". January 6, 2022. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  4. ^ Blockus, Gary R. (June 2, 2018). "Previously Unheralded Kevin Porter Jr. Looks To Show He Belongs With USA Basketball". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  5. ^ Cotterill, TJ (March 19, 2018). "Hothead? Bad attitude? No more. Kevin Porter Jr. found a father figure in Jamal Crawford to become state's best player". The News Tribune. Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  6. ^ Evans, Jayda (March 3, 2018). "Brandon Roy gets second state title as Garfield works OT to beat Rainier Beach for 3A crown". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on March 9, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  7. ^ Cotterill, TJ (February 26, 2018). "Mr. Basketball: Who do coaches say is the top high school basketball player in the state". The News Tribune. Archived from the original on November 3, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Kevin Porter". ESPN. Archived from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
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  10. 247Sports. Archived
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  12. ^ "Nov 6, 2018 - Robert Morris 62, USC 83". RealGM. November 6, 2018. Archived from the original on November 3, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
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  31. NBA.com. Archived
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  37. ^ Almanza, Clemente [@CAlmanza1007] (October 18, 2023). "Thunder PR: Additionally, Oklahoma City acquired the contract of G Kevin Porter Jr. He will be waived immediately" (Tweet). Retrieved October 17, 2023 – via Twitter.
  38. ^ "O Kevin Porter Jr. έρχεται στη Θεσσαλονίκη για τον ΠΑΟΚ mateco". PAOKBC.gr (in Greek). April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
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  51. AP News
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  52. ^ Rosenstein, Kelly Iko and Greg. "Kevin Porter Jr. reaches plea deal on assault, harassment charges". The Athletic. Retrieved January 24, 2024.

External links

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