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 in South Seattle, 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 recruit by recruiting services 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]
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 Robert Morris.[12] On November 20, against 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 an 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 Thessaloniki (2024)
On April 2, 2024, Porter Jr. signed with Greek club PAOK for the rest of the season.[38] In 6 domestic league matches, he averaged 22 points, 9.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.8 steals in 39 minutes per contest. Porter Jr. posted a triple-double against Panathinaikos with a stat line of 23 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, the first in Greek Basket League playoff history.
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.[40] 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.[41][42] Scouts have pointed out his defense and rebounding abilities as another strength, forcing turnovers and running the ball down the court.
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.[41]
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."[48]
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.[49] Misdemeanor charges of driving without a license were also dropped.[50]
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.[51] 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.[52] 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.[53]
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