Otto Porter, known for his 11-year stint in the NBA, which proudly included a championship win with the Golden State Warriors in 2022, has declared his retirement from professional basketball. Porter was drafted No. 3 by the Washington Wizards in 2013 but later on he played for four other teams before calling it a career. He played most for Washington which included him on its roster for nearly about six seasons before trading him to Chicago.
At the age of 30, Porter finishes his basketball journey with a career that spanned 527 games across various teams including Washington, Chicago, Orlando, Golden State, and finally Toronto. Throughout his career, he maintained averages of 10.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. His 39.7 career 3-point percentage ranks 61st in NBA history.
Drafted third overall from Georgetown in 2013, Porter’s rookie season began modestly with an average of 2.1 points per game, but he steadily progressed, reaching an average of 14.7 points by his fifth season.
Porter faced numerous injury setbacks, particularly during his time with the Bulls and the Magic. However, he managed to contribute significantly, playing in 63 games and averaging 8.2 points per game as a key reserve player for Golden State during their recent championship-winning season. His stint with the Raptors over the past two seasons saw sporadic playing time, and he was traded to Utah on Feb. 8. Surprisingly, he was waived by the Jazz on Monday without making an appearance, shortly before announcing his retirement.
If you want to understand Otto Porter’s character, you can look back to his rookie year with the Wizards after playing for Georgetown. Drafted as the No. 3 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Porter’s kindness was highlighted in a letter to the Washington Post. A homeless man was outside a D.C. sandwich shop, asking for food or money. Porter arrived, went inside, and returned with two sandwiches – one for himself and one for the homeless man. They sat down together, and Porter engaged in conversation with him while they ate. This act of kindness, done when he thought no one was watching, speaks volumes about Porter’s character.
Porter has been facing health challenges and has only participated in 23 games over the last two seasons. In the past five seasons, he has only managed to play in more than 30 games once, which was during the 2022 Warriors title-winning season.