Michael Porter Jr. Takes Shot at Lakers, But Reality Tells a Different Story
Michael Porter Jr. has never lacked confidence, and his latest remarks prove it once again. On a recent appearance on the Glory Daze Podcast, the forward delivered a line that instantly made Los Angeles Lakers fans roll their eyes.
“I always had good series against the Lakers. I don’t know what it was, but I always cooked the Lakers,” Porter Jr. said.
It’s not an empty claim. During his time with the Denver Nuggets, Porter gave the Lakers trouble in the postseason. Across 14 playoff matchups against L.A., he averaged 16.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, knocking down an impressive 44.8 percent of his three-pointers. Those numbers weren’t just filler either — many of his shots came at critical moments, swinging momentum in Denver’s favor.
A Rivalry Written in the Playoffs
The Nuggets and Lakers have crossed paths three times in the playoffs since 2020, and Porter was in the middle of all of it. In the bubble postseason, the Lakers got the upper hand, beating Denver in five games on their way to an NBA title.
But the script flipped after that. In 2023, Denver swept Los Angeles in the Western Conference Finals, a statement series that showed just how far the Nuggets had climbed. Then in 2024, they eliminated the Lakers again, this time in the first round in five games.
Michael Porter Jr.:
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 22, 2025
“Lakers fans always thought they could beat us, but they never did…I always cooked the Lakers” 😳
(via @glorydazepod) pic.twitter.com/TgyB6aF5oJ
From L.A.’s perspective, Porter became a recurring thorn in their side. But context matters.
The Jokic Factor
While Porter’s stats against the Lakers were undeniably strong, they came with a massive asterisk: he played alongside Nikola Jokic. Having a three-time MVP drawing double-teams, controlling pace, and bending defenses in every direction created the perfect environment for Porter to thrive.
In Denver, Porter’s job was simplified — catch, shoot, and punish defenses when Jokic created openings. Now that he’s been traded to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Cam Johnson, those luxuries disappear.
Without Jokic feeding him clean looks, Porter will be asked to take on more responsibility in Brooklyn. He’ll need to create his own offense, generate shots under pressure, and step into a leadership role on a young team.
What It Means for the Lakers
The Lakers, meanwhile, may not mind the change one bit. Instead of seeing Porter in a Nuggets uniform multiple times in critical postseason battles, they’ll now deal with Cam Johnson — a reliable shooter, but not nearly the same kind of matchup nightmare.
Porter can continue to talk up his success against the Lakers, but the rivalry loses much of its edge without Jokic in the picture. The forward who once looked unstoppable against L.A. may find that replicating that same success in Brooklyn is far more difficult.
The Next Chapter
The ultimate test of Porter’s words comes on February 3rd, when the Nets and Lakers meet in the regular season. That game will serve as a litmus test: can Porter still “cook” the Lakers without Denver’s MVP centerpiece setting the table for him?
Confidence has never been an issue for MPJ, but in Brooklyn, the margin for error is much thinner. His claim about dominating the Lakers is now on trial — and this time, he’ll have to do it without Jokic’s help.
