As the Denver Nuggets take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA playoffs, Michael Porter Jr. took time between games to talk about how he deals with life's challenges.
“Oh, snap,” he told USA TODAY Sports, saying his brother called him from prison after the Nuggets started.
The last eight days, involving three of Porter's younger brothers, illustrate some of the stressful moments for Porter.
Jontay Porter, 24, was banned from the NBA for leaking confidential information to sports bettors. Corban Porter, 22, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to a drunk driving crash that killed a woman. Jevon Porter, 20, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
“It's tough. It's not like I'm not still grieving or stressed out about it,” Michael Porter said after resuming his phone interview with USA TODAY Sports over the weekend after receiving a call from Corban Porter. No,” he said. '
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Porter said dealing with her emotions is not only part of how she copes these days, but also a key element in overcoming things she once thought were impossible.
Porter has had three back surgeries and missed more than 100 games in his first five NBA seasons, but says his chronic back pain has subsided. Now in his sixth year, he has only missed one game this season, not because of injury but because he brought the wrong shoes on the trip.
Porter said he was able to play without injury because he worked with Nicole Sachs, a licensed clinical social worker, to uncover the repressed emotions that are believed to be the cause of his chronic back pain. Told.
“To go through a whole season without missing a game (due to injury) after missing games for so many seasons and having surgeries and things like that, I think that's a pretty amazing story and a testament to that kind of commitment. '' Porter said.
Porter, who still wears a brace on his left leg due to back problems, is the Nuggets' third leading scorer with 16.7 points per game in the regular season and 17.4 points per game in the playoffs. He was the team's second-leading rebounder in the regular season with 7.0 rebounds per game and third-leading rebounder in the playoffs with 6.7 rebounds per game.
“I don't think he gets the recognition he deserves,” Nuggets coach Mike Marrone said earlier this season. “If you're going to really understand what he's doing and look at it from a medical standpoint, the brace he's wearing is important.” Every night, and when he goes out and sees what he's doing, All you have to do is take a step back and it's incredible. ”
Michael Porter Jr. affected by his brother's hardships
On April 19, Michael Porter was in court instead of practicing with his teammates to speak on Coban's behalf at the sentencing hearing.
“It wasn't easy for him,” Malone told reporters the night after Porter had 19 points and eight rebounds in Denver's 114-103 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of their first-round series. . “That's why I admire him, because he has a lot on his mind and a lot on his mind. For him to go out there and get the job done that he does. It shows how strong this young man is.”
Porter's parents declined to comment on the matter, said Mark Bartelstein, who represents Porter and the Porter family.
Porter described his success in the face of pressure both off and on the court and said he is now dealing with the emotions he once ran away from. He said he has learned that his mental and emotional state is important.
“Whether it's through a journal, through prayer, through meditation, or just thinking about these issues, I honor them and give them the time they deserve,” he said. Then you will be able to live a normal life.
“It's not that I don't think about my brother, but I let (his emotions) come to the surface and gave them the time they deserve. And now when I need to shift my focus, I'm thinking about other things.” You can shift your focus to
Expectations remain high.
Porter, who was drafted by the Nuggets with the 14th pick in the 2018 draft, signed a five-year extension worth up to $207 million in 2021, according to ESPN.
Why Michael Porter Jr. cites social media as a factor in wellness
Medscape, which bills itself as the leading online destination for doctors and medical professionals, said in 2023 that the basic theory behind mind-body work for lower back pain is “despite skepticism from the mainstream community, but has received positive feedback from patients who say it has helped.” There is glowing testimony.” …strategies are all over the internet. ”
Porter isn't afraid to challenge the mainstream.
For example, in 2020, Porter was heavily criticized for saying on Snapchat: “Personally, I think the coronavirus is clearly being used for a greater purpose. It's being used for population control in that it can control large numbers of people.”
While talking about how emotions can cause physical pain, Porter says, “Sometimes we get too emotional, too much mental, and end up in a situation where our body becomes even more inflamed.'' ” he said.
He added that social media and the criticism it generates has increased injury rates for NBA players. There is no data to support his claim.
“Before the social media era, before the critique era and the current situation, players didn't have as many injuries and chronic pain and surgeries,” Porter said. “And I think the fact that we live in this culture right now where everything is so criticized, and for athletes, the people who comment on us and criticize us, we have this emotional I think this may be contributing to the restlessness.”
According to NBA data the league said it obtained from third-party experts, the NBA's injury rate fluctuated between 2010 and 2017, when social media usage was surging, but generally remains the same as it is today. The injury rate was lower than that of The league said injury rates have remained “fairly stable” since the 2017-18 season.
The NBA is still trying to determine the cause of the change in injury rates, according to the league. Possibilities include increasing the speed and pace of the game and allowing youth basketball players to log more games, the NBA said.
What others have said about how the mind and body work
Sachs, a psychotherapist and mind-body clinician who has been working with Porter since last summer, said chronic pain results from dysregulation of the nervous system caused by suppressed emotions and accumulated trauma. . Sachs says that once the trauma is revealed and processed, pain signals are no longer emitted.
“This is not about hippie dippy therapy,” Sachs said. “This is literally about brain science.”
Sachs and other experts cite a series of studies, including a 2021 study published in the journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, “The Anatomy of Brain Pain and Suffering and its Clinical Implications.”
A 2022 review published in the medical journal BMJ shows the benefits of using psychological interventions and physical therapy to treat lower back pain. Porter said he continues to weight train to keep his back strong and healthy.
“But as much as I work hard at keeping my body in shape, it was never enough,” he said. “I was still battling random seizures.”
Pain drove Michael Porter Jr. After the 2023 NBA Championship
Shortly after meeting Sacks eight months ago, Porter interviewed her on his podcast and shared some of their story.
Weeks after the Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Championship, Porter said he was barely able to move due to recurring back pain. The search began for a solution.
Porter discovered a book by John Sarno, author of “The Mind-Body Prescription'' and “Healing Back Pain.'' Sarno, a physician and professor of rehabilitation medicine at New York University who passed away in 2017, argued that low back pain is a psychosomatic disorder.
This book led Porter to seek out Sachs, a student of Sarno. Porter's first homework assignment: Journal uninterrupted for 20 minutes a day. This led him to associate his back pain with the pressure associated with basketball, which he started playing at the age of three.
“That's how I grew up feeling loved,” he said of his success in basketball.
As I continued writing in my journal and talking to Sachs, the pain in my back began to disappear.
“I believe this is the cure,” Porter told her on the podcast.
Last month, Porter joined Sachs' podcast while in Los Angeles. It was the day before the Nuggets faced the Lakers in Game 4 of their playoff series.
Porter declared that he had no chronic back pain.
“Every day I push my body to its limits, and that's after three back surgeries and everything,” he said. “…the more you learn about yourself, whether it’s anger, guilt, or shame, the more you can not only uncover the emotions that took away the pain, but also use that information to actually change your life. I think it was very useful to use it.”
