Who are Michael Porter Jr.’s parents, Lisa and Michael Porter Sr.? Taking a closer look at personal life of Denver Nuggets’ star

Michael Porter Jr. comes from a family with a strong passion for basketball. The course of his career, like those of his seven siblings, was heavily influenced by his parents, Lisa and Michael Porter Sr.

Lisa leveraged her experience as a pro basketball player in France after being one of the most accomplished athletes in Iowa Hawkeyes history to develop into an extraordinary high school coach. His father played college basketball at the University of Iowa and later became a coach at the AAU level and an assistant coach at the college level.

Cooperatively, they established a context that encouraged and developed their children's interest in playing basketball.

Lisa and Michael Porter Sr. have been instrumental in the basketball journey of the star. Through their guidance, he developed both a love of the sport and an exceptional work ethic.

Michael Porter Jr. acknowledges their pivotal role, stating that they are the reason he has reached his current level of success. The support and guidance from his parents have contributed to his emergence as a promising young NBA player.

Michael Porter Jr. has a large and talented basketball-oriented family. With older sisters Bri and Cierra, as well as five younger siblings all involved in basketball, the Porter household is a basketball-loving environment. This strong familial connection has further nurtured his love for the game.

Hoops and home: The role of family in Michael Porter Jr.'s Success

Michael Porter Jr.

The Denver Nuggets star has a vast and accomplished basketball-oriented family in addition to Lisa and Michael Porter Sr.

Porter's passion for the game has been cultivated by this solid family link. His family was instrumental as a coach, motivator and mentor in assisting him to manage the ebbs and flows attached to creating one's career.

Lisa Porter (formerly Becker) starred at Iowa from 1983-87. She was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1983-84 and was Big Ten honorable mention in 1985 and 1987 as well as Academic All-Big Ten in 1986 and 1987.

Porter led Iowa to the school’s first Big Ten title and NCAA Tournament appearance in women’s basketball. Entering last season, she still ranked 22nd for points (1,335), 15th for rebounds (691) and 11th in blocks (83) at the school. She also participated in the 1984 Olympic team trials and made the 1985 and 1987 U.S. Select Team.

All this came after she averaged 58.7 points per game as Iowa’s Miss Basketball – while playing six-on-six basketball – at Jefferson High in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She also has an MBA and began a career as a financial analyst, according to the Columbia (Missouri) Daily Tribune.

Lisa’s sister, Robin Pingeton, also had a standout basketball journey. Both sisters grew up with a regulation half court in their backyard before starring at Jefferson.

Pingeton, who played three seasons in the WNBA after being an All-American in basketball and softball at St. Ambrose, has coached the University of Missouri women’s basketball team since 2010. She was the SEC Coach of the Year in 2016-17. Michael Porter Sr. was on her staff for six seasons, three as an assistant coach and three as the team’s director of operations.

Michael Porter Sr., originally from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, played basketball at the University of New Orleans before graduating in 1989. He was also an assistant coach for the men’s teams at the University of Washington and Missouri. He coached Michael Porter Sr. and his brother, Jontay, at Mizzou.

The Porters have eight children: Bri, Cierra, Michael Jr., Jontay, Coban, Jevon, Izaak and Jayda.

Bri, who played at Mizzou from 2014-18, and Cierra were teammates on Missouri’s women's basketball team. Cierra Porter, on the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2015-16, was the 2018-19 SEC Sixth Woman of the Year. She’s 27th on the school’s all-time scorers (1,167 points) and sixth in free-throw percentage (80.1%) from 2015-19.

Michael Jr. and Jontay were teammates at Mizzou. Jontay, a 6-foot-11 big man who played 11 games for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2020-21 and for the Nuggets in the 2022 summer league, played for the Wisconsin Herd in the G League last season. He was also on the SEC All-Freshman Team and the SEC Sixth Man of the Year in 2017-18.

Coban Porter played guard for the University of Denver Pioneers in 2021-22. Jevon, a 6-foot-11 center, was named to the All-West Coast Conference Freshman team for the Pepperdine Waves.

Izaak Porter played defensive end and tight end for the football team and guard and forward for Father Tolton Catholic High in Columbia last season. Jayda was a freshman basketball player at Rock Bridge High in Columbia last season. Her sisters, Bri and Cierra, won four consecutive state championships at Rock Bridge.

As Porter continues to make his mark in the NBA, his parents' influence remains a significant part of his journey. Their basketball backgrounds, support and guidance have helped shape him into the promising player he is today.