NBA champion confesses his greatest vice: “I have fallen into the constant attraction of the flesh”

Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., who won the NBA championship in 2023 with the Denver Nuggets, has spoken about an issue that he says has affected him on a very personal level. Despite being at one of the best moments of his career individually, the player admits that off the court he has had to deal with “his own demons.”

On his ‘Curious Mike’ podcast, he admitted that in the last two or three years “his relationship with God has weakened” and that he has fallen into what he describes as “the constant attraction of the flesh”.

“Everybody has different weaknesses. Everybody struggles with different things. It might be people who deal with alcohol, with drugs. For example, my brother had problems with gambling. My weakness has always come in the form of women. And when I’m away from God, when I’m not reading his word, not praying, not prioritizing him, that’s where the devil seems to catch me: in the realm of women,” he says.

I have not been blessed with a wife because perhaps I am not prepared

Michael Porter Jr.

The player himself acknowledges that this situation is partly the reason why he is still single at 27. “I have two younger brothers who are married. I have two older sisters who are married. I’m the only one who isn’t. And I think God gives you what you’re ready to face,” he says.

Even so, he admits that keeping his faith alive has been quite a challenge. “God gave me a lot of money because he thought I could handle it and not get lost in that realm. And maybe Jontay wasn’t blessed with so much money because he struggled with the idolatry of money. I haven’t been blessed with a wife because maybe I’m not ready to handle that because of my struggles,” he says.

A troubled family

Raised in a Christian home, Porter Jr. has spoken in numerous interviews about his faith. That spiritual connection was his refuge when his family went through difficult times: his younger brother Coban was sentenced to six years in prison for a fatal drink-driving accident, and his brother Jontay pleaded guilty to fraud in a betting scandal.