NBA star Michael Porter Jr. spills the tea on NBA players having sex with other men

There’s only been one out gay active player in NBA history. But that doesn’t mean NBA players aren’t having sex with other men. At least, that’s what Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. said on a recent episode of his online show, “Curious Mike.”

Porter was chatting with former adult film star Lana Rhoades, who isn’t shy about sharing her dark experiences in the industry. During the convo, Rhoades explains her view about porn’s corrosive impact on men and how they view intercourse.

“They get so numb to regular sex, or just women, that they wind up having really intense fetishes because this can’t get off to normal things anymore,” she opines.

Porter follows up Rhoades’ conversation with a revealing anecdote: NBA players experience the same sexual ennui.

“Even in the NBA, hooking up with so many people, you get desensitized to the normal thing. This happens in the NBA. I hear wild stories about some of these dudes,” he says.

Rhoades interjects, saying she knows about the wild behavior. But the show’s viewers don’t… That is, until Porter spills the man-on-man tea.

“They might be a straight man, but they’ve done so much stuff with pretty girls and have so much access to pretty girls, they’re over here messing with [trans girls],” he claims. “Now they’re over here messing with dudes.”

“It’s crazy to think about. Obviously, I think the porn industry has a part to play with that,” he adds.

It’s worth noting that Porter may not be the most impeccable source. He used a derogatory term for transgender women in the video, and has an inglorious history of pushing COVID conspiracies.

But it’s not like he’s the only person who’s indicated NBA players involve themselves in risqué behavior. The perception is so widespread, there’s literally a reality show about basketball wives and their experiences.

Wilt Chamberlain, a two-time champ and one of the greatest players ever, wrote in his autobiography that he had sex with over 20,000 women during his playing career. He actually addressed the infamous remark earlier this year, saying the 20,000 number was a figure of speech.

But the points stands: “Wilt the Stilt” had a lot of sex!

“I’m probably more famous, or infamous, for that than the 100 points,” he said. “What I’m trying to do in using a figure of speech to bring attention to sexual situations that I was involved with without being explicit, without calling names, and also leading to the latter part of that chapter.“

The whispers about NBA players having sex with men trace back decades, though the origin is much darker. When Magic Johnson contracted HIV/AIDS, rumors started spreading about his alleged gay sexual encounters. (Johnson has always maintained he contracted the virus through heterosexual behavior.)

John Amaechi was the first NBA player to publicly come out as gay, including the revelation in his memoir. The forward played in the league from 1995-2003.

Former Orlando Magic superstar Tracy McGrady estimated to Stuff magazine in 2003 that 5% of NBA players are gay, and said his guess was based on first-hand knowledge.

And Jason Williams, who played point guard in the league from 1998-2011, said in a 2023 interview there are “definitely” gay players in the NBA.

Williams was addressing Dwight Howard, who’s been accused by another man of sexual assault and battery. While Howard denies the allegations, he doesn’t deny knowing his accuser. He says he’s engaged in “consensual sexual activity” with the man, and corresponded with him months before meeting.

As Outsports’ Cyd Zeigler points out, the NBA star’s admission is a “powerful revelation,” even if it was made in a court filing. Last year, Howard called people “weird” for speculating about his orientation.

When Jason Collins publicly came out at the end of his career in 2013, he was met with widespread acceptance. LeBron James called him “noble,” and Kobe Bryant said his coming out was “fantastic.”

Kobe’s words were especially notable, because he was once infamously fined $100,000 for shouting an antigay slur at a ref. His about-face on the topic signified the growing acceptance around the league.

Still, there have been multiple homophobic incidents in the NBA in recent years. Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, Porter’s teammate, was once fined for using an antigay slur himself.

As defending champs, the Nuggets are poised for another deep playoff run. Porter is one of their most reliable scorers, averaging 16.7 points per game.

We’ll probably see him playing basketball all spring long. We’re sure he has plenty of games, and revelations, left in him.