Kevin Porter Jr.'s latest goal says everything about his mindset going forward with Milwaukee. We all know by now that Bam Adebayo scored 83 points in an NBA game a few weeks ago. Normal players would look at that and think, "that's insane, congrats to Bam." But for Porter, the instant reaction is more along the lines of, "I'm coming for it."
Talking to YouTuber Deshae Frost's chat, Porter dropped this gem:
"Now that Kobe got beat, I gotta beat Bam just for the respect of Kobe."
It was a lighthearted moment, but the young guard essentially just told everyone he's chasing 84 points in a single game in the wake of Bam Adebayo scoring 83 points. And the audacity is kind of impressive, even if it's completely ridiculous.
Despite his history, Porter has actually been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bumpy season for the Bucks. And him setting lofty goals like this, even if slightly unserious, says a lot about where his head's at. It tells us that no matter what happens this offseason, with or without Giannis, he's here and he's trying.
Either way, Kevin Porter Jr. just gave us the most entertaining soundbite of Milwaukee's miserable season. He's coming for 84 points "for the respect of Kobe," and nothing, not reality, not his actual role, not basic mathematics, is going to stop him from believing that.
Kevin Porter Jr.'s gumption is a sight for sore eyes in this Bucks season
Kevin Porter Jr. just declared war on the NBA record books, and honestly, the audacity is kind of refreshing, given how miserable this Milwaukee Bucks season has been.
If anyone deserves the room to make claims like this, it's Porter. He's putting up numbers, providing instant offense when Milwaukee needs it, and apparently hasn't let the losing destroy his confidence.
Will Kevin Porter Jr. score 84 points in a game? The answer to that is probably obvious at this point. But will he keep attacking, keep confident, keep providing offense when Milwaukee desperately needs it? Based on this quote and his play so far, probably.
Sometimes you need a little irrational confidence to survive a season this brutal. Porter's got that in spades, and Milwaukee should be grateful for it. The Bucks are a mess right now. At least KPJ's entertaining while the ship sinks.
Can Kevin Porter Jr. beat the record that Bam Adebayo just did?
Let's be honest, though, is this ever actually happening? Likely not.
Porter's got talent, and nobody's denying that. But scoring 84 points requires everything going right for four whole quarters: unlimited green light, terrible defense, your teammates force-feeding you possessions, and probably overtime.
To get to that number, you would need the basketball gods to be smiling on every shot you take like they were for Adebayo just a few weeks ago. But the fact that Porter's out here setting impossible goals instead of sulking about the team's record? That's actually a good sign.
If one were to actually entertain the prospect and read into the statement a little bit, this also feels like exactly the kind of individual-first mentality that gets players in trouble. Milwaukee needs Kevin Porter Jr. to play smart, efficient basketball within their system. They don't need him chucking 60 shots trying to break some arbitrary scoring record that happened in a pickup game.
Good luck, KPJ. You're gonna need it.