Sunday’s matchup between the Rockets and Cavaliers was the first in Cleveland with Kevin Porter Jr. playing for Houston.
While Porter was traded by Cleveland in January 2021 after several concerning off-court incidents, an injury prevented him from playing in last season’s meeting there. Because the Rockets and Cavaliers play in different conferences, they only travel to each other’s home once per season, and the 2020-21 meeting came when Porter was still ramping up to play with Houston’s G League affiliate.
Thus, Sunday was the first on-location reunion for Porter and the franchise that drafted him in the 2019 first round. Now 22 years old and in his fourth NBA season, Porter is having statistically his best year as Houston’s starting point guard, averaging 18.6 points (43.6% FG, 35% on 3-pointers), 5.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game.
But with Porter, on-court production is only part of the journey. According to head coach Stephen Silas and general manager Rafael Stone, as well as former head coach J.B. Bickerstaff in Cleveland, he’s also developed on a personal level during these two-plus years.
From Sunday’s pregame media sessions, here’s what each of them had to say on Porter and his growth.