Michael Porter Jr. has never been short of opinions, and his latest one is equal parts honest and self awareness. The Brooklyn Nets forward was asked how he would feel if his former Denver Nuggets teammates won the NBA title this season.
His answer? It was exactly the kind of unfiltered response that has made him one of the league’s most talked-about personalities.
Michael Porter Jr. on Denver Winning Without Him: ‘I’d Love It, and Hate It’
Porter spent seven total seasons in Denver — he sat out his rookie 2018-19 campaign due to injury — winning an NBA championship alongside Nikola Jokić in 2023. Those were his people, his teammates, and, by his own account, his friends. So when the question came up, he didn’t pretend there wasn’t some complicated emotion sitting beneath the surface.
“I’d love it, and hate it, if Denver won,” he said plainly. “I’d love it because those are my friends. But I’d hate it because that means they got better without me. I’m like a toxic ex.”
Michael Porter Jr. on this year’s NBA championship:
“I’d love it, and hate it, if Denver won. I’d love it because those are my friends. But I’d hate it because that means they got better without me. I’m like a toxic ex.” 💀 (via @Emilyaustin) pic.twitter.com/Q6oNtfKTgG
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 8, 2026
It’s a quote that tells you everything you need to know about Porter: genuinely warm toward the people he played with, and just self-aware enough to admit that watching them thrive in his absence would sting.
Most players in his position would offer a diplomatic non-answer. Porter reached for an unhinged version of the truth and delivered it with a laugh.
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The comment came during the same interview in which Porter also went to bat for Jokić in a broader GOAT conversation, calling him the best player he has personally witnessed.
“From what I’ve personally seen every day, I haven’t seen anybody as dominant as Nikola,” he said. At the same time, he still acknowledged Michael Jordan’s consensus standing in basketball history. It was a thoughtful and nuanced take, and proof that Porter, for all the controversy he has generated over the years, can make a genuine point when the moment calls for it.
A League-Wide Personality, for Better or Worse
Porter’s willingness to speak freely has been a defining feature of his career, both in Denver and now in Brooklyn.
He has made headlines for polarizing opinions, eyebrow-raising comments, and at least one memorable incident involving NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s phone number finding its way online. His opinions have not always landed well, and some have caused real friction.
But none of that changes the fact that he remains one of the Nets’ most important players this season. Currently averaging 24.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while shooting 46.3% from the field, Porter is the most consistent offensive weapon on a Brooklyn roster that is clearly in rebuild mode.
He posted 30 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday’s dramatic 107-105 win over the league-leading Detroit Pistons. It was the kind of performance that underlines just how dangerous he can be when locked in.
He has also been vocal about the state of the league itself. He recently took aim at the culture of tanking, and somewhat ironically, given that he plays for one of the teams currently sitting at the bottom of the standings.
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“I don’t like how teams are deliberately trying to tank to get a good draft pick,” he said. “Throwing full NBA seasons down the drain is not the way to go. It’s not ethical to the game.”
Whether you agree with him or not, Porter makes the conversation more interesting every time he opens his mouth. And on the Nuggets question, at least, he nailed it. The toxic ex line was too good, and too real to argue with.
