Michael Porter Jr. Thought Nikola Jokic Was Fat When He Was Drafted By The Nuggets

Michael Porter Jr. was surprised to see Nikola Jokic's conditioning when he got into the league, even wondering why he's a starter for the team.

4 Min Read

Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Porter Jr. was one of the best high school prospects of the last 10 years but saw his draft stock plummet due to various back injuries. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as MPJ slid out of the lottery and fell to the Denver Nuggets with the 15th pick in the legendary 2018 Draft.

MPJ went into the Nuggets locker room, not knowing much about the team but was pretty stunned to see that the leader of the team, Nikola Jokic, was out of shape and spent his summers drinking beer and riding horses.

“So, Jokic when I first met him, he was fat. He’s skinnier now. I think he started taking his health more seriously because, before that, I heard after the season, he just goes back, drinks beer, rides horses, and then tries to get in shape before the season starts. I didn’t know too much about him because I didn’t watch the Nuggets. We come to training camp and he’s doing alright but Mason Plumlee was doing just as good as Joker. I’m like, ‘Wait, why does Joker start over Mason Plumlee?’ I remember my teammates saying, ‘No, when he wants to not pass and just score, he can score 40 a night.’ I was like, ‘No way, bro.’ They just said to wait till the season starts. I’ve never seen anything like him.” 

Improving his conditioning and slimming down ultimately led to Nikola Jokic winning back-to-back MVPs and may pay off with the Nuggets winning the championship this season.


The Nuggets Await The Results Of Game 7

The final game of the Eastern Conference Finals will take place tonight, as the Celtics host the Heat in the TD Garden after taking a 3-0 series deficit and tying it up 3-3. The Heat don’t want to be the first team in league history to blow a 3-0 lead, so they’ll be ready to leave it all on the court.

The Nuggets match up well against both rosters but could look at the Heat as a more ideal matchup due to their lack of size and athleticism. If the Lakers weren’t big enough for the Nuggets, neither Boston nor Miami will be able to live up to that either. 

The Celtics are far more switchable and will be a lot more challenging to stop, but with the grueling seven-game series that we have on our hands, Denver will be happy to catch their opponents tired after what will be an exhausting Game 7.

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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