Michael Porter Jr. had the best season of his NBA career with the Brooklyn Nets. Through the first half of the 2025-26 season, he was averaging 25 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 38.5 percent from three and carrying a rebuilding Nets team almost entirely on his back.
The All-Star case was as clear as it gets. Then, in February, the coaches voted, and MPJ was left off the roster entirely.
Michael Porter Jr. Gets Brutally Honest On All-Star Snub
“I regret that once I didn’t make that All-Star game, I let my foot off the gas because there really wasn’t anything we were playing for anymore. We couldn’t make the playoffs, I couldn’t be an All-Star… I wasn’t in the weight room as much, I wasn’t preparing as much, and my three-point percentage dropped,” Porter said on the Road Trippin’ Show podcast.
Michael Porter Jr. admits he kind of stopped playing hard after not making the All-Star team
“I regret that once I didn’t make that All-Star game, I let my foot off the gas because there really wasn’t anything we were playing for anymore. We couldn’t make the playoffs, I… pic.twitter.com/WZNVsk9QbO
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 7, 2026
Eddie Johnson reacted to the comment, he said, “This is so Foreign to me! This is not a good Look my man!”
This is so Foreign to me ! This is not a good Look my man! https://t.co/nhEI0qtTRQ
— Eddie A Johnson (@Jumpshot8) May 7, 2026
Tyler Polumbus, a prominent NFL analyst, also weighed in on the situation. He wrote on X, “Things you shouldn’t say out loud … Someone take the podcasts away from Michael.”
Things you shouldn’t say out loud …
Someone take the podcasts away from Michael. https://t.co/Gyyh9HppH1
— Tyler Polumbus (@Tyler_Polumbus) May 7, 2026
Mat Smith, another sports analyst, didn’t hold back against MPJ as well. “He is dumber than a box of rocks. I’m not sure I could possibly put it a nicer way. You couldn’t waterboard that out of me.”
He is dumber than a box of rocks. I’m not sure I could possibly put it a nicer way. You couldn’t waterboard that out of me. https://t.co/bU4tAjiIcK
— Mat Smith (@RealMatSmith) May 7, 2026
Jeff On Sports, an NBA fan, also wrote on X, “This is actually George Washington reincarnated, dude can not tell a lie once he’s asked something.”
this is actually george washington reincarnated dude can not tell lie once he’s asked something https://t.co/XTopR2cOt2
— jeffonsports (@jeff_on_sports) May 7, 2026
Duncan Smith, who is a Pistons analyst, said, “Admitted that a little too easily.”
Admitted that a little too easily https://t.co/qt3qWEdzA0
— Duncan Smith (@DuncanSmithNBA) May 7, 2026
Cream City Crossover, who is also an NBA and NFL analyst, had a blunt reaction to MPJ’s comment. He said, “Yikes ……”
Yikes …… https://t.co/dBp5hmse2s
— Cream City Crossover (@TCIIIESQ21) May 7, 2026
After the All-Star break, his averages dropped to 21.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, and his three-point percentage cratered from 38.5 percent in the first half down to 27.4 percent in just 11 games before he was shut down with a hamstring issue on April 3.
The seven Eastern reserves the coaches ultimately selected were Scottie Barnes, Jalen Duren, Jalen Johnson, Donovan Mitchell, Norman Powell, Pascal Siakam, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Porter still has one year remaining on his contract at $40.8 million, and the Nets are expected to field calls about him this offseason, given that he is an expiring deal. If another team is getting the first-half version of MPJ, the player who was averaging 25 points on elite efficiency, that is a significant pickup.
The second-half version, by his own admission, is a different story entirely. At least nobody can say he was not honest about which one showed up after February.
