Home in Houston is where the heart is for Kevin Porter Jr.

Brian Barefield
·3 min read
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There is an old saying that has been passed down from generation to generation that goes, “home is where the heart is.”

It does not matter if you were birthed or grew up in a different city. Any place that you lay a foundation of love and establish emotional ties is where your heart will be, and Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. shows that.

Although the 21-year-old did not arrive in Houston until January 2021 via a trade with Cleveland, he has rapidly fallen in love with the city and fans. Porter took to Twitter early Friday and expressed that sentiment to his 63,000 followers and well beyond. “You gotta kill me to move from Houston,” tweeted Porter, who is originally from Seattle.

During the recently completed 2021-22 preseason, Porter averaged 16.3 points (38.5% on 3-pointers) and 4.3 assists in 29.0 minutes.

On Saturday, the Rockets held their annual Fan Fest. With over 3,500 fans watching the open practice from the Toyota Center stands, the third-year guard received the loudest ovation as he came onto the court. It was something Porter seemed to embrace, as he made sure to sign autographs and take pictures with numerous fans screaming his name.

“It is just my home,” Porter said with a smile on his face as he took questions from the media. “I’m a one stone type of guy, a one place type of guy. I see myself here. I don’t know, the love I got for the city, man, I can’t put a limit on it. They just welcomed me full force, and I feel I can be myself. I can be confident in being the person I am.”

“When you can be the person you are, people love you for that,” he explained. “It’s a different feeling. I love Houston for that. I want to do everything I can to give back to them.”

The Rockets put on a display of highlight dunks and dance moves on the court Saturday, and the crowd made sure to express how they felt by being in attendance as they continuously stood, screaming loudly about everything they were witnessing.

“Houston did that for us, it was crazy,” said Porter. “It was a great feeling to feel that energy, to feel that love out loud. It was crazy.”

The Rockets will open their regular season in Minnesota on Wednesday, Oct. 20. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central.

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