Michael Porter Jr.: No Lakers player can guard me, beating LeBron in a matchup felt incredible

On August 22nd, former Nuggets player Michael Porter Jr. discussed the Lakers in his recent podcast. He mentioned that he really liked competing against the Lakers, and that the Lakers have never managed to beat the Nuggets.

When the host asked what stood out most about playing the Lakers, Porter replied, “I genuinely enjoyed those playoff series against the Lakers back in Denver because they were thrilling, and you know, Lakers fans are very passionate. They always believed they could beat us, but they never did. I have consistently performed well in series against the Lakers, so I liked going up against them. I’m not sure why, but I always seem to play my best against them. I just think they never had a player who could match up with me or handle my off-ball movement around screens, so I always found good scoring opportunities.”

“Some of the other teams we faced later defended me better, but those series against LeBron were truly special. Facing LeBron directly in the playoffs, he’s a great example in sports. One year we swept the Lakers, another year we beat them probably 4-1 or 4-2. That feeling was amazing. When you respect someone as much as I respect LeBron, and you get to compete against him head-to-head and come out on top, it’s an electrifying experience.”

“Whenever I face great players, thoughts like this run through my mind,” Porter continued, “it’s the same when we play against Kevin Durant and Luka Doncic. Man, those two are outstanding. But at the end of the day, we have great players too. I see Jokic’s performance every day. I know what Jamal (Murray) can do. I know we have a strong team.”

During the offseason, a trade sent Porter away from the Nuggets and to the Nets. In the new season, he will begin a fresh chapter in Brooklyn. He gained plenty of attention on his podcast this offseason—will his performance on the court be just as impressive when the season starts?