Inside The Nuggets

Denver Nuggets NBA Champion Sends Message to Lakers Player on Instagram

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. commented on Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt's Instagram post.
Joey Linn|
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) against Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) during game two of the 2023 NBA Western Conference Finals at Ball Arena.
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) against Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) during game two of the 2023 NBA Western Conference Finals at Ball Arena. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is entering the third year of his five-year, $179M contract. Owning career averages of 15.7 points and 6.2 rebounds on 49.9 percent from the field and 41.0 percent from deep, Porter has been a perfect fit in Denver’s starting lineup.

Helping the Nuggets win a championship in 2023, Porter came through in several big moments throughout that postseason where he averaged 13.4 points and 8.1 rebounds. 

Selected 14th overall in the 2018 NBA draft, Porter did not debut until the 2019-20 season due to a back injury. Porter played 55 games as a rookie, averaging 9.3 points in 16.4 minutes per game.

One of Porter’s teammates his rookie season was current Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt. Traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves midway through that year, Vanderbilt spent parts of two seasons with Denver after making his NBA debut with them in 2019.

Sharing an Instagram post from New York Fashion Week, Vanderbilt posted five photos of himself over the weekend.

Porter commented on Vanderbilt’s post, writing, “Fashion icon.”

Also in attendance at New York Fashion Week, it’s unclear if Porter was able to connect with Vanderbilt, but he shared a comment for his former teammate.

Isaiah Thomas, Michael Porter Jr. and Jarred Vanderbilt
Denver Nuggets guard Isaiah Thomas, forward Michael Porter Jr. and forward Jarred Vanderbilt on the bench against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Pepsi Center. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Many of the biggest figures in sports are currently in New York for Fashion Week, the US Open, and other events. With Porter, Vanderbilt, and others, the Nuggets have some current and former players in New York together.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.

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