Bobby Portis He was on his way to becoming one of the nba bad boys. In October 2017, During a Bulls training session, he literally smashed his then-teammate Nikola Mirotic’s face.. Later came some flagrant faults resulting from unconsciousness and an irascible character. However, the 2.08-meter, 26-year-old pvot was able to correct the course of his career. today is a key piece in the Bucks champions.
“With all the ups and downs of my career, I was labeled as a bad guy who was always angry and I punched a guy. I’ve worn that label for years,” acknowledges Portis, who this season has been starter in 48 of the 53 games he has played. The absence of the injured Brook Lopez has provided you with an opportunity that you are taking advantage of: he has career bests in minutes (28.8), points (15.7), rebounds (9.2) and is shooting 41.6% from 3s, the eleventh best in the entire NBA. In a conversion process, he has gone from shooting 0.8 times from the goal in his first campaign in the League (15-16) to 4.9 in the current one. It’s common for Bucks pvots to spread out to make room for Giannis Antetokounmpo’s drives.
The incident with Mirotic made me a better person. I’m sure
Some time ago, Portis confessed to ‘The Athletic’ that that incident with Mirotic made him a better person: “I’m sure. He and I always had altercations. It was not the first time and in the offices they knew it, but that was something different. She told herself I hit her from behind. Those who were there know what happened. If it had been so serious, the Bulls would not have offered me to renew. That sums it up. It was just a stain.”
Extra that the Spanish was 23 games out for those fractures in the face and the aggressor was only sanctioned with eight games without playing. That made Mirotic understand that he should leave the Bulls and he was traded to the Pelicans midway through that 2017-18 season. Portis, meanwhile, was renewed in the summer, although he left midway through the following year heading to the Wizards. He then spent a year in the Knicks and in 2020 he signed for the Bucks as a free agent. He had better offers, among other teams from the Mavericksbut preferred to earn less money to be able to fight for the ring.
Valorado by Giannis Antetokounmpo
after pocketing $15 million in his one year in New York, went on to earn 3.6 million in Milwaukee. But the bet paid off. He became a role player on an aspiring team and helped win the championship averaging 7.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in the final against the Suns. Convinced to go on Antetokounmpo, who considers him very valuable, this season his contract is for 4.3 million dollars. He has an option to continue next year for 4.5 million, but logic suggests that he give it up in search of a much more succulent contract in the Bucks or elsewhere.
It is the redemption of Bobby Portis, the player who attacked Mirotic. “Then, I was 22 years old and he was about 26. We were both young”he excuses himself. “I don’t talk to him and he doesn’t talk to me. We only talk to each other in the field and because we have to. Ah, we are partners”, the Spaniard confessed to this website in the first interview he gave after that incident. Fate has led one to be important in a champion NBA team. The other brought him back to Europewhere is one of the most decisive players on the continent.
