Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. has built a reputation as one of the league’s most dangerous shooters, but a recent workout left him with a new standard in mind.
Speaking during a livestream with content creator N3on, Porter said a session with Miami Heat guard Klay Thompson changed the way he views himself as a shooter.
"Bro, I used to think that I was the best shooter. Not anymore, dog.
He beat me by one spot. It was close," Porter said.
Porter went on to explain that the workout gave him a rare kind of competition.
"After the workout, he was like, ‘It's been so long since I've shot against someone who challenges me.' That's how I felt. I never get to work out with someone who challenges me,” Porter continued.
The comments come from a player who has been one of the NBA’s top long-range threats since entering the league ahead of the 2018-19 season. Since the 2019-20 campaign, Porter has knocked down 1,019 three-pointers while shooting 39.8% from deep, which ranks third in the league over that stretch.
Only two players have been more efficient from three in that span: Detroit Pistons forward Duncan Robinson at 39.9% and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry at 40.8%.
Thompson’s numbers over that same period also back up Porter’s praise. He has made 1,342 three-pointers while shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc.
Porter’s first season in Brooklyn produced plenty of career-best per-game marks, but his three-point percentage dipped to 36.3%, one of his least productive years from long range.
Even so, Porter’s reaction to Thompson says plenty about the level of shooter he just went up against. And with Porter’s own track record, he’ll be aiming for a sharper shooting year in 2026-27.
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