MPJ opens up about brother’s lifetime ban.

PublishedAugust 11, 2025 9:48 PM EDT•UpdatedAugust 11, 2025 9:48 PM EDT

FacebookTwitterEmailCopy Link

NBA veteran Michael Porter Jr. has faced significant off-court challenges, including family legal issues, but he relies on faith to stay grounded.  

READ: Banned NBA Player Jontay Porter Would Reportedly Text Bettors Mid-Game About Faking Injuries

Traded from the Denver Nuggets to the Brooklyn Nets on June 30, with an unprotected 2032 first-round pick for Cam Johnson, Porter opened up in a recent video on his YouTube channel, talking about his struggles, his faith and his brother Jontay Porter’s gambling issues, which led to his indefinite ban from the NBA.

Porter shared: “Everybody has different things that they struggle with. That can go from people who struggle with alcohol to people who struggle with drugs. My brother, for example, struggled with gambling.”

The 27-year-old has previously spoken up to support his brother amid allegations that rocked the league.

“I’ve known my brother my whole life. I know what type of dude he is and I know he’s excited to play basketball, and I highly doubt he would do anything to put that in jeopardy,” Porter Jr. said in March 2024.

MPJ admitted that while his vices are different than those of his brother’s, they still keep him distant from leading a life of dignity.

“When I’m far from God, when I’m not reading the Word, not praying, not prioritizing Him, that’s where the devil seems to get me,” Porter said. He added, “I’ve never seen it as okay, though. I don’t think objectifying women or sleeping around is cool.”  

Porter reflected on his family dynamics: “I’ve got two younger brothers and two older sisters who are all married. I’m the only one who isn’t.”  

Michael Porter Jr. (left) was drafted 14th overall after spending one year at Missouri. (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

He suggested, “I believe God gives you what you’re ready to handle. Honestly, I don’t think I’m ready to handle a good woman right now because I’m still all over the place; sometimes I’m walking with God, sometimes I’m not.”  

On Jontay, he noted, “My brother Jontay never struggled with women, but he did with gambling. I never struggled with gambling, and maybe that’s why God blessed me with money, because He knew I could handle it.  

“Jontay, on the other hand, wasn’t blessed with a lot of money because maybe God knew he couldn’t handle that temptation.”  

Porter is a former NBA champion with the 2023 Denver Nuggets. 

Facing the pressures of playing with Nikola Jokic or problems with his brothers, Porter managed to overcome a lot of the noise.

Banned NBA Player Jontay Porter Would Text Bettors Mid-Game About Faking Injury

Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA, for life, last year amid his gambling scheme. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Porter’s family faced further turmoil in April 2024: brother Coban was sentenced to six years for a fatal DUI crash, and Jevon was arrested for suspected DWI.  

Despite these tribulations, the Nets’ new cornerstone player remains focused: “In the same way, I think I haven’t been blessed with a wife because I’m not yet ready to handle that responsibility given my struggles. I just wanted to get that off my chest.”

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela