Michael Porter Jr. and Sophie Cunningham are good friends (Image via Instagram / @curiousmike) Sophie Cunningham is among the most favorite WNBA players for the Indiana Fever. Michael Porter Jr. is a very talented scorer for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. A recently viral article has also made some people think that the two are in a romantic relationship. No, Michael Porter Jr. is not in a relationship with Sophie Cunningham. The rumor comes from a popular post shared by a famous parody account.In fact, Cunningham doesn’t have a partner. Though reports suggest they are only lifelong acquaintances from the same hometown, there has been fresh conjecture of a possible romance with Michael. She has previously refuted false claims that she had an affair with the CEO of the Phoenix Suns and has been observed forming ties with individuals such as Tyrese Haliburton’s fiancée, Jade Jones.
A viral post reignites rumors about Michael Porter Jr. and Sophie Cunningham’s relationship despite their longtime friendship roots
The important thing to note is that 573 is close to the bottom of the actual post from MPJ’s Instagram story. In Missouri, it is an area code. Porter and Cunningham have been friends for a long time and are from the same area of that state.“Sophie Cunningham and MPJ are dating..” Porter reportedly stated that he “grew up with Sophie Cunningham.” Both of them are from Columbia. This appears to be nothing more than a group of long-time buddies from the same area.They do have a rather long history, actually. Michael Porter Jr., the 2023 NBA champion and current player with the Brooklyn Nets, has in the last couple of years alienated the women’s basketball community with the remarks he has made.In a January 2024 episode of The Pivot Podcast, he stated, for instance:”I know these females [WNBA players] want to get paid more, and they’re very talented. But so is a famous ping-pong player… That doesn’t mean that they’re going to get paid the same, because it’s what the people wanna watch. As much as I understand females wanting the same treatment as men basketball players, it’s a different sport.”Additionally, Porter Jr. got into trouble with women’s basketball supporters after saying the following in a stream by well-known streamer Plaqueboymax on August 29: “If the WNBA All-Star team, if the Olympic team played the McDonald’s All-American high school players, it’s one of them things, bro. You can’t dance around it. In high school, when I was in high school… If we play the WNBA All-Star team, that, no disrespect, bro. No disrespect, bro. I’m not even gonna say it.”Porter Jr. appears to want to atone for his previous remarks on women’s basketball, or at the very least, he doesn’t want women’s basketball supporters to be at his throat any longer.In an interview with Brian Lewis of the New York Post for a piece published on September 23, Porter Jr. made the decision to attempt to allay criticism regarding his remarks by mentioning Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham.”I’m the biggest fan of the WNBA,” Porter Jr. said after noting that he has two older sisters who used to beat him in basketball when he was younger, per an X post from Lewis.Porter went on to say that he “grew up with Sophie Cunningham.” “Cunningham and I have] talked about being able to chop it up and talk on a podcast,” Porter continued after mentioning that they grew up in the same city (Columbia, Missouri).However, it is reportedly the fact that Cunningham and Porter are not dating, even though they haven’t recently said anything about it.Also read: Sophie Cunningham unleashes fiery criticism on WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, calling for respect and real change in the league