Bobby Portis of Arkansas is one of 60 players participating in this year's NBA Draft. He elaborated on his Christian faith in a press conference before the event.
In a video exclusively obtained by the Gospel Herald, Portis elaborated on both his NBA prospects and his Christian faith. He was first asked by a reporter off-camera which NBA players he was looking forward to playing with in the season.
"Probably Tim Duncan," Portis quipped. "I like Tim Duncan's game. I feel like that I could learn a lot from him by playing against him."
The reporter then asked him how Portis would feel once an NBA team announced his name for the first time in a game.
"I think I feel the same way how I feel from every college game," Portis said. "Every college game they call my name, I have the jitters. I'm ready to play. I feel like I got those same jitters."
The reporter's last question focused on how his life changed since his last college game back in Arkansas.
"My life has changed tremendously," Portis said. "It's been a total 360 [degree turn]. I worked hard to get to this moment, and I'm grateful for it."
Portis gave credit to God for blessing him with the opportunity to participate in this year's NBA Draft. The reporter asked him if he felt any different now that he's become a professional basketball player.
"The one biggest thing is the travel," Portis said. "That's the biggest change in my life is me always having to be on the go since college and moving around to different cities."
A second reporter, this time on camera, asked Portis on what he thought of the Sacramento Kings and what he would bring there if he was given the opportunity to prove himself there.
"The one thing I know out there, I really haven't seen their ways yet, so I'm not going to lie," Portis said, adding that his friend seems to work well with the Kings assistant coach Corliss Williamson.
The reporter then asked him what he would bring to the team.
"They're going to guide us and work as hard as we can," Portis said of the Kings. "They want us to be the best basketball players we could possibly be."
A third reporter off-camera asked Portis on how his faith in God helped him in his journey to the NBA Draft.
"I feel like that it does speak to my journey a lot," Portis said of his Christian faith. "I talked to God a lot since I was a young child. I followed the path that He lays, and He has blessed me tremendously and helped me get here. I feel like anything that I ask from Him, He gives it to me in some way."
However, Portis acknowledged that God answers prayers in His own time.
"Sometimes He might make me wait a few years for it, but it comes eventually," Portis wrote.
A separate reporter asked him if he has talked to the Toronto Raptors.
"No sir, I haven't," Portis quipped.
Another reporter observed that Portis carried a certain attitude on the basketball court that has served him well as an asset. He wondered how Portis gets fired up before game time.
"I just use my past motivations to try to inspire me to be an angry guy on the court," Portis said. "If you play basketball, you can't be a nice guy out there. You have to deal with some fire on there."
For the final question, Portis was asked what exercise routine worked best for him.
"I do my best in every workout I've [ever] did," Portis said. "I've had a great workout. I've had 11 workouts in total, and I did my best in all 11."
