Michael Porter Jr. Won a Pair of $800 Jordans in a Bet With a Fan and He Can't Even Wear Them
Royal Gomez will always have an interesting story to tell.
The Nuggets fan was one of a handful of people who responded to a challenge from Denver rookie Michael Porter Jr. to play a game of NBA 2K. The caveat was that Porter was only willing to play people who would place a wager on the game.
Most of the people who got the chance to take on Porter put up money. Gomez however, decided to bet a pair of sneakers he purchased with the money he was gifted after graduating high school the spring, according to Adam Mares of Denver Stiffs. And these weren't just any sneakers Gomez put on the table. They were $800 UNC White Jordan 1s.
Gomez and Porter arranged to meet at Porter's apartment to play the game. You can read what Gomez told Denver Stiffs about arriving at the apartment below.
"They sent us to his apartment building, his little brother and sister were the only other people there. It was me and my cousin ... when we got into the building he told us the wrong room so we called him and he told us to walk right in, door unlocked and everything. He was pretty nice but was focused on playing his brother in 2k which was for $20. I told him on Twitter that I’d be betting the shoes so he knew but he said he can’t even wear them so it was a little pointless to put them up for grabs, what was strange was he didn’t want to bet what the shoes were worth, which is $800, he only wanted to wager $100."
Why Gomez agreed to a bet where the other person was not wagering as much he was will never totally make sense. Especially when that other person involved in the bet is an NBA lottery pick. But, here we are.
Gomez went on to explain to Denver Stiffs that Porter was so focused on the game that he ignored the jokes Gomez and his cousin were making about Porter's new teammate Nikola Jokic. He added that he thought Porter might break the TV they were playing on because he got so emotionally invested in the game.
In the end, Porter—who was playing with the Wizards—used a strong second half to defeat Gomez—who was playing with the Celtics.
Since Porter is one of the guyswho recentlysigned a deal with Puma, he can't wear the Nike sneakers. So Gomez and Porter would have been better off he Gomez just bet $800 instead of the shoes.
"He said he kinda felt bad about taking [the shoes] but I said it was worth it just to hang out with him," Gomez told Denver Stiffs.
Gomez also told Denver Stiffs that Porter contacted him to say he would send him some Puma sneakers, but does that really make up for losing $800 Js?
It doesn't. There's no way in the world any pair of Pumas would make up for losing a pair of $800 Jordan 1s, even if you got to hang out in Michael Porter Jr.'s apartment in the process.
At least Gomez wasn't the only person to fall victim to Porter.
If Porter is really this good at 2K, maybe we'll get some stories of him and teammates betting over games. There's almost always a terrific tale to come from NBA players who share a locker room and bet against each other.
