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Michael Porter Jr. attended Tuesday's 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament quarter-final clash between the LA Lakers and the Phoenix Suns at the Crypto.com Arena. For the fans, the Missouri native coming in wasn't a surprise, but it was who he had for company that raised eyebrows. The Denver Nuggets star was seen entering the arena with former WBC champion Floyd Mayweather. Both superstars were filmed walking into their seats by a fan who couldn't believe why Porter Jr. came with the boxer.
You can watch the clip below:
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, one fan said:
"So random"
More reactions followed soon after:
The consensus was that Porter Jr. was a fan of Mayweather, and the other was that the Nuggets would be playing the LA Clippers at the same venue on Wednesday night. Both theories make sense.
NBA players turning up to watch other teams play is not a novelty anymore, although what it does is always give rise to trade rumors in good doses. Michael Porter Jr. to the Lakers did the rounds, but that's pretty much speculation for now.
Michael Porter Jr. has been having a good season with the Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have benefited from having Michael Porter Jr. in the starting lineup primarily due to his motor and his two-way play. This season. the forward is averaging 18.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, in his last 10 games. One of them included a 30-point game against the Houston Rockets.
Speaking to the media in the aftermath of the 134-124 win, Porter Jr. spoke about the outing. According to the Denver Gazette:
“I never really care to watch the good games. The bad games are what I like to pay attention to. So, on the flight home, we watch all my minutes and dissected all my shots, different things I could do better, all of that.”
The Nuggets have had a wobbly run this season winning 14 of their 21 games. Their last five games have seen them win four of the contests. They take on the Clippers next followed by another skirmish against the Rockets.
As for the In-Season Tournament quarterfinals, the Milwaukee Bucks advanced to the semis in the East, and the winner of the Lakers vs Suns contest will face the New Orleans Pelicans in the semis in Las Vegas.
