MPJ releases video about back injury, Mizzou & NBA: ‘I can’t even jump off the ground’

Former top college basketball recruit Michael Porter Jr. released a video Wednesday on The Players’ Tribune in which he discussed his time at Missouri and his journey to the NBA.

The video, which opens with a highlight of a young Porter Jr. dunking, before he was a prodigy, was filmed by his sister Cierra. He discussed his symptoms leading up to the Tigers’ 2017-18 season opener vs. Iowa State, in which he would only play two minutes, and the decision to have back surgery.

Also in the video, Porter Jr. said he isn’t soft and that the process has been hard on him but he remains optimistic about his future. He said he wished he could have given more to Missouri basketball and understands fans frustrations about his career. He did not discuss a possible timeline to make his NBA debut with the Denver Nuggets.

Multiple NBA scouts and executives have told The Star that they would be surprised if the 6-foot-10 forward plays at all this season.

Alex Schiffer

Alex Schiffer covers University of Missouri athletics for The Star.

This story was originally published October 10, 2018 at 12:21 PM.