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Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. has been one of the most outspoken players about refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine, right next to Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving.
Porter opened up on his stance about the vaccine in a recent interview with The Ringer, saying he wasn’t against getting the shot – it just wasn’t right for him.
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Michael Porter Jr. #1 of the Denver Nuggets looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first quarter at Ball Arena on October 8, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)
"My main thing is: We don’t have years and years of data for how it can affect you," Porter said. "So for me, I know I’m immune to COVID right now – more immune than a lot of people with the vaccine are. I’ve had it twice. I’ve got the antibodies, all those things. It’s just laying off on it for now. I’m not against the vaccine. What I’m against is not allowing other people to have a choice, or people trying to force it on other people."
Porter’s noted skepticism started last year during a Q&A on Snapchat. He said in July 2020 the virus was being used to "control" the population and that the fear of the virus is "overblown" despite the hundreds of thousands of deaths from the virus around the world.
Michael Porter Jr. #1 of the Denver Nuggets shoots a free throw against the Detroit Pistons during the first quarter of the NBA game at Little Caesars Arena on May 14, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
"Personally, I think the coronavirus is being used obviously for a bigger agenda. It’s being used for population control just in terms of being able to control the masses of people. Because this virus, the whole world is being controlled. You’re required to wear masks and who knows what will happen when this vaccine comes out. You might have to have the vaccine in order to travel, that’d be crazy. I’ve never been vaccinated in my life, I’ve never had any shots or anything like that.
"It could get crazy, but it’s definitely an agenda behind everything that’s going on right now, and all you can do is sit back and watch what’s going on and not get too emotionally involved.
"But it is a serious thing, it’s a real thing, but yeah, this is being overblown."
Last month, Porter told the Denver Post he didn’t feel "comfortable" getting the vaccines because of the so-called unknowns that came along with it.
Michael Porter Jr. #1 of the Denver Nuggets talks to teammate Nikola Jokic #15 during a preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October, 2021 at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
"For me, I had COVID twice, I saw how my body reacted, and although the chances are slim, with the vaccine, there’s a chance you could have a bad reaction to it," he told the newspaper. "For me, I don’t feel comfortable.
"I’ve had it twice, and I don’t know what’s going in my body with a shot, so if I already know how I’m going to react to COVID, I just feel like, for me, I don’t want to risk putting something that might affect me negatively in my body."
He added that he didn’t support a mandate.
Porter changed his tune a bit on the dangers of the coronavirus while at training camp.
"People that say it’s not a big deal are definitely misinformed," he said, via The Ringer.
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Denver starts its regular season on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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