The backstory on Bobby Portis is quite interesting: He rose from poverty and violence in Little Rock, Ark., to become the Bulls’ top choice in the NBA Draft on Thursday.
From an ESPN story about Portis’ tough life:
Do you know what it’s like to come home from school and see your family’s possessions on the front lawn because you’ve been kicked out of your apartment again? That happened to Portis multiple times. Edwards, Portis and his brothers encountered financial challenges that sent them to the homes of family members and friends. He even slept on the floor in a two-bedroom spot that housed nine people.
As a young boy, Portis once had to punch a man that had accosted his mom. He talked about the incident to Comcast SportsNet New England:
I’m very crazy. I play angry, I play mad, Portis said. I play very angry. Every game, I sit in the locker room and I have visions of the players on the other team slapped my mom. So that’s why I get mad and now I get you because you slapped my mom.
His anger is quite evident on the floor, and maybe that’s why he’s so chill off of it.
Here is the 6-11 power forward having fun with Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker during pre-draft workouts in Chicago:
.@BPortistime, @dekker & @KPangos team up for a #Dubsmash in Chicago.https://t.co/YTLJz0o5WH
— Campus Insiders (@CampusInsiders) May 21, 2015