Bryan Kevin Porter Jr. (born May 4, 2000), also known by his initials KPJ, is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA). He played high school basketball for

Rainier Beach High School Rainier Beach High School is a public secondary school (grades 9-12) in the Seattle Public Schools system. It is located in the Rainier Beach area, in the southeastern part of the city of Seattle, Washington, United States. The school historicall ...

and led the Vikings to the state playoffs in each of his four years. He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

USC Trojans The USC Trojans are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ' ...

Early life

Porter was born in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

, to Ayanna and Bryan Kevin Porter Sr. His father played

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, basketball, and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

in Seattle in the 1990s. In July 2004, when Porter was four years old, his father was shot five times and killed while trying to help someone being attacked. As a result, he was raised by his mother, who became his role model.

High school career

Porter convinced his mother to enroll him at Rainier Beach High School instead of

O'Dea High School O'Dea High School is a Catholic all boys high school founded in 1923 and is located in Seattle's First Hill neighborhood. The school is named after Edward John O'Dea who was bishop of Seattle when the school was built. O'Dea is a part of the Ar ...

in Seattle, because his father had played sports there and he wanted to preserve the tradition. In his senior campaign, he averaged 27 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists, as Rainier Beach finished with a 22–7 record. On March 3, 2018, Porter recorded 22 points and 11 rebounds in a Class 3A state championship game loss to Garfield High School. At the end of the season, he was named

Washington Mr. Basketball The Washington Mr. Basketball honor recognizes the top high school basketball player in the state of Washington (state), Washington. The award is presented annually by the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association.http://www.wenatc ...

by the state coaches association.

Recruiting

Porter was considered a five-star

recruit __NOTOC__ Recruit can refer to: Military * Military recruitment * Recruit training, in the military * '' Rekrut'' (English: Recruit), a military recruit or low rank in German-speaking countries * Seaman recruit Books *''Le Réquisitionnaire'' (E ...

by recruiting services

247Sports 247Sports is an American network of websites that focus mainly on athletic recruitment in college football and basketball. It is owned and operated by Paramount. The website hosts a large network of team-specific subsites, with each subsite b ...

and

Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...

and a four-star recruit by

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

. He was the top-ranked player from Washington in the 2018 class and received offers from several

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...

programs, including

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

, and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, before committing to

USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...

. Porter became the first USC player since

DeMar DeRozan DeMar Darnell DeRozan (born August 7, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected ninth overall by the T ...

in 2008 to be rated a five-star recruit by Rivals.

College career

Porter debuted for USC on November 6, 2018, scoring 15 points off the bench on 6-of-7 shooting in an 83–62 win over Robert Morris. On November 20, against

Missouri State Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...

, he suffered a quadriceps contusion. He returned on December 1 versus

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

but left after four minutes because he was hindered by the injury. He missed nine games with a quad contusion, and returned again on January 10, 2019, scoring five points in 25 minutes. Three days later, however, he was suspended indefinitely by USC for "personal conduct issues". Regardless, Porter stated that he would finish the season with the team and then played in the last three games of the season. He averaged 9.8 points, four rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 22 minutes a game, playing in 21 of USC's 33 games. At the conclusion of his freshman season, Porter announced his intention to forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility and declare for the

2019 NBA draft The 2019 NBA draft was held on June 20, 2019. It took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, i ...

Professional career

Cleveland Cavaliers (2019–2021)

In the

, Porter was selected 30th overall by the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

but was later traded to the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

via the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...

. On July 3, 2019, the

announced that they had signed Porter. On October 23, Porter made his debut in the NBA, playing in a 85–94 loss to the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

and finishing with one rebound, two assists, and a steal. On November 4, Porter was suspended for one game without pay for improperly making contact with a game official. His first NBA start for the Cavaliers would come on November 19 against the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

in a 123–105 loss where he recorded a then career-high 18 points in 31 minutes. Porter started the 2020–21 season inactive due to his off-season weapons charge, which was later dropped. On January 18, 2021, the Cavaliers announced that Porter would either be traded or released following an outburst regarding a locker change following the Cavaliers' acquisition of

Taurean Prince Taurean Waller-Prince (born March 22, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Baylor Bears. He was drafted by the Utah J ...

from the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...

. He was ultimately traded to the Rockets three days later having not played a single game with the Cavaliers in the 2020–21 season.

Houston Rockets (2021–present)

On January 21, 2021, Porter was traded to the

for a future top-55 protected second round pick. He was later assigned to the Rockets' G League affiliate, the

Rio Grande Valley Vipers The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Edinburg, Texas, and are affiliated with the Houston Rockets. The Vipers play their home games at the Bert Ogden Arena. The Vipers have won f ...

, debuting for the Vipers in their season opener on February 10, 2021. On February 25, he recorded the first triple-double of the G League season, scoring 27 points, collecting 11 rebounds and dishing out 14 assists. On March 6, the rockets officially recalled Porter from the Vipers after an astonish performance in the G-League. Porter made his official debut with the Rockets on March 11, 2021, suppling with 13 points, ten assists and five rebounds in a game lost against the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

. On April 28, Porter was fined $50,000 for violating the league’s Health and Safety Protocols. In the next following day after the incident, he scored 50 points and recorded 11 assists in a win against the

, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to have 50+ points and 10+ assists in a game. In the end of the regular season, Porter only played 26 games with the Rockets this season despite with many conflict he was dealing, averaging 16.6 point per games, collecting 4.4 precents of rebounds, 6.3 assists and committing 3.1 turnovers. On January 1, 2022, during a 111–124 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Porter and teammate

Christian Wood Christian Marquise Wood (born September 27, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. He has also played in ...

got into a verbal altercation with Rockets assistant coach John Lucas at halftime. Porter then threw an object into the locker room and left the

Toyota Center Toyota Center is an indoor arena located in Houston. It is named after the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The arena is home to the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and it was once the home of the Houston ...

, the arena where the Rockets were playing, before the game ended. On January 3, Rockets head coach

Stephen Silas Stephen Silas (born August 6, 1973) is an American basketball coach who is the head coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the son of NBA star player and head coach Paul Silas. He worked under his fat ...

stated that he had suspended both Porter and Wood for one game each for their behavior. On March 31, 2022, he recorded his first triple double with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in a 121-118 loss against Sacramento. On October 17, 2022, Porter agreed on a four-year, $82.5 million contract extension with the Rockets.

Player profile

Standing at 6 feet and 4 inches (1.93 meters) with a 6 ft. and 9 in. wingspan (2.05 m), Porter plays both the point guard and shooting guard positions. On offense, he possesses a strong isolation game that is complemented by a high level of athleticism that allows him to be an effective scorer on the perimeter; at and above the rim; and in transition. His elite handling skills allow him to create space and defer to either a step-back jumper, a pull-up shot out of a crossover, or a behind-the-back dribble pull-back. Scouts have pointed out his defense and rebounding abilities as another strength, forcing turnovers and running the ball down the court. At the time of the draft, he was compared to

DeShawn Stevenson DeShawn Stevenson (born April 3, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. Stevenson played for six teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) during a 13-year career. He originally committed to play at the University of ...

, Nick Young, JR Smith, James Harden,

C.J. Miles Calvin Andre "C. J." Miles Jr. (born March 18, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the NBA G League Ignite of the NBA G League. A native of Dallas, Miles was drafted in 2005 NBA draft, 2005 by the Utah Jazz aft ...

, and Kelly Oubre, Jr. Since the start of the 2018–19 season, Porter was projected as a first-round prospect for the

. He looks up to

James Harden James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Harden is regarded as one of the greatest scorers and shooting guards in NBA ...

, a fellow left-handed guard, citing him as one of the biggest influences on his game. Analysts identified his shot selection, assist-to-turnover ratio, and foul-shooting as a point of improvement in his game in addition to other miscellaneous off-the-court concerns.

Personal life

Weapons charge

On November 15, 2020, Porter Jr. was charged by

Mahoning County Mahoning County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 228,614. Its county seat and largest city is Youngstown. The county is named for a Lenape word meaning "at the licks" or "there is a lick", refer ...

police following a single car accident for improper handling of a firearm in a vehicle. In a statement the

stated, "We are aware of the situation involving Kevin Porter Jr. and are in the process of gathering information. We have spoken with Kevin and will continue to address this privately with him as the related process evolves." A grand jury in Mahoning County declined to indict Porter on the felony gun charge. Misdemeanor charges of driving without a license were also dropped.

Consor apology

In January 2022,

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...

announcer

Glenn Consor Glenn Consor is a National Basketball Association (NBA) and NCAA basketball analyst and studio host who played collegiate and pro basketball. He was also an NBA scout, which led to his broadcasting career. He played professional basketball for Mac ...

apologized to Porter Jr., after Consor commented that Porter Jr., "like his dad, pulled the trigger right at the right time." Consor said this after Porter Jr. made a key shot in a Wizards-Rockets game, under the mistaken belief that Porter Jr. was the son of Kevin Porter, a former Washington point guard who retired in 1983. The father of Kevin Porter Jr., Bryan Kevin Porter Sr., pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, served a prison sentence, and later died in a shooting when Porter Jr. was four years old. Porter Jr. is not related to Kevin Porter.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

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Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, 26 , , 23 , , 32.1 , , .400 , , .368 , , .734 , , 3.8 , , 6.3 , , .7 , , .3 , , 16.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 61 , , 61 , , 31.3 , , .415 , , .375 , , .642 , , 4.4 , , 6.2 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 15.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 137 , , 87 , , 28.5 , , .424 , , .352 , , .686 , , 3.9 , , 4.7 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 13.7

College

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References

External links

*
USC Trojans bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Kevin Jr. 2000 births Living people African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Seattle Cleveland Cavaliers players Houston Rockets players Milwaukee Bucks draft picks Rio Grande Valley Vipers players Shooting guards USC Trojans men's basketball players Small forwards 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople