Bobby Portis had a difficult life on his way to the NBA. The Milwaukee Bucks big man came a long way to become an NBA champion, starring in some controversial moments along the way.
Portis had to fight hard for what he wanted to achieve in life, even if that meant starting from nothing with his mother. When he was 15, the player got tired of an abusive stepfather, taking care of things, and leaving an abusive house with his mother and siblings.
ESPN writer Myron Medcalf recently recalled how difficult things were for the teenager. He made the right decision, protecting his mom and the rest of his family.
When he was 15 years old, Bobby Portis grew tired of a man getting physical with his mom, so he fought him. Family packed up and left. He told me he just wanted better for her and his siblings. That’s what drove him. That dude went through some real stuff. So happy for that dude.
— Myron Medcalf (@MedcalfByESPN) July 21, 2021
This is not the first time Medcalf talks about this. In 2014, he revealed details of what happened in that house when Bobby said ‘enough’ and fought this man.
”Bobby was 15 at that point and time,” said Tina Edwards, Portis’ mother. “I guess he’d had enough of his mom being talked to real bad.”
Portis approached the man as his mother grabbed their belongings and told her four boys — Portis has three younger brothers — that they were leaving.
”I stopped it, actually,” Portis said. “Somehow he got mad about something. I don’t know what he got mad at. My mom, she ran out of the room, and he came out, trying to hit her. Then I stood up and [said], ‘No, don’t do this.’ He tried to hit me, but I grabbed his hand in the act of hitting me.”
Although he’s pretty cool, Portis has a limit, and he won’t hesitate to call people out when he feels disrespected. That’s what happened with Dwyane Wade and Nikola Mirotic when they were teammates in Chicago.
He knows what hard work is, and all he’s done so far is thanks to that. Like other players like Jimmy Butler, Bobby comes from a complicated background. Fortunately, they became good players, helping teams compete for championships.
