Last Thursday, Michael Porter Jr.’s parents sat seven rows up from the Pepsi Center court, directly facing the Denver Nuggets’ bench.
Porter’s parents had been in Portland for his preseason debut Oct. 8. They wanted to be there when he made his home debut in front of Nuggets fans, even if it was just the preseason finale. As he finally checked in with 2:47 left in the third quarter, his parents and relatives raised their hands in anticipation and relief.
Only Porter wasn’t mentally there, he said, frustrated from having to sit and bide his time on an exceptionally deep Nuggets team.