Denver Nuggets is NBA champion for first time in its history. The finishing touch to a roadmap that has been at the top of the West for the past few years. The championship won against Miami closes in Colorado a project who has settled among the best in the NBA. A trophy full of stories, both group and, above all, individual.
Upon arrival of Jokic to the historical Olympus of basketball is added the resilience of Jamal Murray or the very complicated ability to adapt to a new role, with the example of Aaron Gordon. But, perhaps, the one that can reach the viewer the most is that of Michael Porter Jr. One of the great promises of the last decade that saw his meteoric rise cut short already from university.
Three back operations in five seasonshundreds of days of rehabilitation later, to his 24 years, the forward has found his personal redemption, has put the past behind him and is ready to show the world what he is capable of. Although it is true that since he was young he has been used to spotlightsGetting away from them has been the best thing that could have happened to him.
It has established itself as a key piece in the gear of Malonea player of guarantees in the system of some Nuggets that have devastated in the playoffs (16-4), a life saver. Jokic’s omnipresence brings out the best in his teammates, but in Porter’s case, his individual talent is the one that has made him take that long-awaited step forward.
Looking back in time, reviewing the beginning of his career, the player born in Columbia (Missouri) He agrees to wear the jersey of his city’s university. After a meteoric step by the institute, where he highlighted the stage at Nathan Hale High School, a school in which he was trained by Brandon Roy in 2017He came to college basketball as one of the great stars.
It was there that he began to notice the first pain in his back, after a serious fall. when attempting a dunk. This pain would grow with each blow. The doctors quickly realized that she had a pinched nerve. Days after starting the championship, he would hear the news that he had to undergo surgery.
a constant ordeal
Injuries would get in the way within a few days. The one that was projected for the number 1 of the 2018 Draftin which players of the stature of Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ayton and Jaren Jacksonamong others, only disputed three parties with the Tigers in the NCAA. A tiny amount of 53 minutes They summarized his time on the catwalk that would lead him to be one of the biggest names in the NBA.
There he formed a duo with his little brother Jontaywho, without having such an exuberant talent, has managed to gain a foothold in the G League, NBA Development League. He is currently part of the staff of the Wisconsin Herd, subsidiary of Milwaukee Bucks. He played 10 games with the Memphis Grizzlies last year.
The first operation would come in November 2017 and, with it, the disappearance of the hopes that placed him among the first positions of his litter. Up to 13 names he heard before hearing his. The Denver Nuggets threw a coin toss making a clear commitment to the future. A pick lottery (14) that needed time and care. In Colorado they knew what they were choosing.
After surgery for second time in July 2018just one month after the gala of the draftand miss the entire 2018/2019 season, his ro campaignokie it would arrive in its second calendar year. His versatility in attack and defensive impact from the bench made him get the trust Malone’s. The Nuggets would finish that season (2019/2020) third in the West. Eight titles in 55 encounters disputed.
That summer was the change for his first big version. In the following season (2020/2021), starter in 54 of the 61 matches with averages of 19 points, 7.3 rebounds and 44.5% since the triple that made him third for the Most Improved Player of the Year award, behind only Jerami Grant and a Julius Randle who would lift the trophy.
This irregularity did not blindside the Nuggets. In Colorado they agreed to give him a contract live up to expectations and confidence they have always had in him. In the summer of 2021Calvin Booth Denver’s current general manager, who accepted the position just a year earlier, agrees to a contract with the player. 172 million for 5 years. More of 30 million dollars per season which, a few months after signing it, seemed like a catastrophic mistake.
He could only play nine games in the season 2021/2022. The player would be injured in December in a match against the Houston Rockets upon noticing a lash in the back. She went to the locker room to see what was happening and, until the following season, she did not return to the court. The step forward he had taken with the Jamal Murray’s torn cruciate ligament He turned several backwards, towards those hells from which he had found it so difficult to escape.
“Why does this happen to me?”, the player cursed himself in the hospital bed after his third intervention surgery in less than five years. A rehabilitation process of several months and the complicated recovery of the trust in his body, they mark a before and after. Porter would return the October 3 against Oklahoma, with the illusion intact, as if nothing had happened. “Many players would have retired after an operation. I don’t know if anyone has played after three in the back”, declared the forward in an article for The Ringer.
Returning to the present, the Columbia forward has become a fundamental piece of some Nuggets that have made history, getting the first ring since the franchise exists. Despite the fact that he has not been so successful in the Finals, his Playoffs have been very good. 14.6 points, 8 rebounds, 40.8% from 3-point range (with 6.9 3-pointers attempted per game) in 15 games. The maturity It has been shown in the tie against the Miami Heat where, despite not having good percentages, he has learned to contribute to the team in other ways.
It seems that the hospitals and the countless hours of recovery at home and the gym are behind him. Michael Porter Jr has shown why he is special, why all eyes were on him since high school. Ha out of hell to be a key piece of the future and present in Denver.