Michael Porter Jr. took to Twitter yesterday to challenge his fans and followers in a game of NBA 2K, but there was a twist. First, he was offering to play people in person, not over the internet. Second, he only wanted to play against people who were willing to wager something valuable.
Royal Gomez, a life-long die-hard Denver Nuggets fan, reached out and was willing to put his $800 pair of UNC White Jordan 1s on the line. Gomez says he purchased the Jordans with money he received for graduating high school this spring. Porter Jr. accepted his challenge and invited Gomez and his cousin over to his apartment downtown.
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“They sent us to his apartment building, his little brother and sister were the only other people there. It was me and my cousin…when we got into the building he told us the wrong room so we called him and he told us to walk right in, door unlocked and everything. He was pretty nice but was focused on playing his brother in 2k which was for $20. I told him on Twitter that I’d be betting the shoes so he knew but he said he can’t even wear them so it was a little pointless to put them up for grabs, what was strange was he didn’t want to bet what the shoes were worth, which is $800, he only wanted to wager $100.”
Gomez says he spends a lot of time playing NBA 2K. “I’m really, really really good at 2k, enough to have maybe lost 5 times all year so I was extremely confident going in.” Gomez chose the Celtics. Porter chose the Wizards, and the game was underway.
“It was pretty serious for him. Me and my cousin were making occasional NIkola Jokic jokes but he never acknowledged them once. His brother also kept quiet most of the game but MPJ did get pretty emotional and yelled at the tv. I thought he was gonna break it,” says Gomez.
The score was tied at the end of the first quarter and tied at the half. In the third, Porter grabbed a three-point lead and Gomez started to get nervous. “Going into the fourth I was pretty much panicking because I couldn’t think of a way to stop him at all and I pretty much froze up after that. But at the end I came to and figured out a great way to score against him but it was too late…Dude seriously locked me down completely. But he said I was the best he’s played ever.”
That was a small consolation as Porter Jr. immediately took to twitter to show off his new pair of shoes. Shoes that he can’t even wear thanks to his sponsorship deal with Puma.
Gomez was really disappointed to lose his graduation gift but felt it was worth it for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hang out with a Nuggets player like that. “He said he kinda felt bad about taking (the shoes) but I said it was worth it just to hang out with him.” Gomez left Porter Jr.’s apartment empty handed. When asked if it was worth it, Gomez says “I haven’t really decided yet, but I think eventually I’ll see this as a positive.”
Maybe MPJ will hook Gomez up with a pair of Pumas someday soon?
Porter Jr. beat three different fans and collected against two of them (one ran out the building after he lost to avoid payment). The lesson: you’re as likely to beat Porter Jr. in actual basketball as you are to beat him at 2K. Challenge him at your own risk.
Update: Gomez has informed Denver Stiffs that Porter Jr. has contacted him and is sending him some Pumas!