Michael Porter Jr. has never been shy about speaking his mind, and his past remarks continue to find their way back into the spotlight. Recently, his 2024 comment has resurfaced online, going viral once again.
“If you send your kid to public school, they might come back and say mom, I’m a cat.”
The remark, which many interpreted as a jab at modern educational and cultural trends, sparked a wave of reactions when it was first made and has now re-entered the conversation due to Porter Jr.’s latest high-profile statements.
The timing of its resurgence coincides with Porter Jr.’s candid comments on the growing influence of gambling in the NBA. Speaking on the One Night with Steiny podcast, the Brooklyn Nets forward warned that sports betting’s impact on players is only going to get worse.
He highlighted the dangers of financial pressures, fan hostility, and the temptation for players to manipulate outcomes for personal gain. Porter Jr. stressed that this isn’t just a theoretical issue, athletes receive death threats over bets and face the possibility of compromising situations.
He even painted a hypothetical scenario in which a player could intentionally leave a game early to help friends cash in on betting the under, noting that while it is wrong, some may rationalize it if they and those around them come from nothing.
The 25-year-old’s frankness adds to a long list of eyebrow-raising moments in his career. Beyond the public school comment, Porter Jr. once said in 2024 that he considered living as a homeless person for a month just to see what it would be like an idea that also attracted controversy.
“I thought about trying to see if I could be homeless for a year. Maybe not a year, but a month.”
He has also shared a bizarre chapter from 2019 when he accidentally leaked NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s phone number on Snapchat. The situation escalated quickly, with thousands of screenshots taken before Porter Jr. realized the mistake. He ended up apologizing publicly on stage after a tense meeting with league officials and Silver himself.
Porter Jr.’s mix of unfiltered honesty and occasional missteps has made him one of the NBA’s more unpredictable personalities. On the court, his shooting and scoring abilities have made him a valuable piece, first for the Denver Nuggets and now for the Brooklyn Nets. Off the court, his words often travel far beyond basketball circles, attracting attention from fans, critics, and media alike.
In the current social media climate, where past statements can resurface at any moment, Porter Jr.’s “Mom, I’m a cat” remark serves as a reminder of how quickly an athlete’s offhand comment can gain traction.
Paired with his warnings about gambling, his reflections on homelessness, and his infamous Adam Silver incident, it reinforces his reputation as one of the league’s most outspoken figures.
Whether you agree with his takes or not, Michael Porter Jr. has shown that he is unafraid to challenge norms, and in doing so, he keeps himself in the headlines just as much for his words as for his game.
