Stephen Curry recently tweeted two pictures of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and himself with the caption “Same team…Winning team.” However, in the second picture, there’s an unfamiliar face wearing a No. 50 Team USA jersey alongside the 3 hoops legends. Well, for those confused souls, don’t worry, we have you covered. That’s Micah Potter, who plays for the Utah Jazz in the NBA. Though he’s relatively new to the big league, the 6’10” mystery man in national colors has already caught the attention. Let’s learn some more.

Who is Micah Potter?

Born and raised in Ohio, Potter attended Mentor High School. He was hooked on basketball from a young age and played on his high school squad. He ended his sole senior year at Montverde Academy after being named the MVP!

However, after putting up just over 4 points in his freshman and sophomore years at Ohio State, Potter leveled up when he transferred to Wisconsin. In his senior year, he averaged over 12 points and 5 boards with the Wisconsin Badgers and even made it to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award preseason watch list!

With all this, Potter had high hopes of getting drafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, but sadly, it didn’t pan out as he planned.

Micah Porter’s slow start to his NBA career

In the 2021 NBA Draft, Micah Potter went undrafted. But he didn’t let that pull him down—he joined the Miami Heat for the 2021 NBA Summer League and locked in a spot with their G-League team. Even though he was putting up solid numbers, averaging over 14 points in the G-League, not many teams were checking for him.

In December 2021, Potter signed a 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons in the hope of a promotion up the ranks but later returned to his G-League team, Sioux Falls Skyforce. Despite being back at square one, Potter refused to give up. He signed with the New York Knicks for the 2022 Summer League, and guess what? He walked away with a two-way- contract with the Utah Jazz.

Even though Micah Potter put up solid numbers in the G-League with Salt Lake City, the Center hasn’t made a big impact in Utah yet, averaging just over 3 points and 2 rebounds. However, at 26 years old, he still has plenty of time to level up his game. The recruiting team for Team USA has most likely seen that potential, which is why they chose him for the 2024 USA Basketball Men’s Select Team.

“Non-negotiable, No brainer!”: Micah Porter was stunned after Team USA call-up, thanks to his perseverance

Micah Potter kicked off his international career as one of only 3 players from the Select Team who got to travel with the senior squad to the basketball showcase. He was blown away when this opportunity came his way. “I was ecstatic. I was excited, speechless… And then the whole aspect of being able to travel with them to Abu Dhabi and London, that whole idea was nuts,” he said.

This was completely unexpected, even for the player, in case you are wondering. Salt Lake City Stars, head coach, Steve Wojciechowski recommended the 26-year-old to Grant Hill, appreciating his work ethic and untapped skill. Micah Potter was left jaw-dropped after his agent, Keith Kreiter, dialed him and gave him the news. The player admitted that their vacation itinerary needed to be revamped! “This is a non-negotiable. It’s a no-brainer,” the player said. “This was one of those things where it’s once in a lifetime.”

Heading into the Olympics, Micah Potter didn’t think he’d get a chance to hit the hardwood for Team USA on the international stage, but he did—twice! He played against both Canada and Serbia in the lead-up to the Olympics. Before that, Potter had hardly seen NBA action, but suddenly he was sharing the court with legends like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and many more. To top it off, the Utah man drained a three-pointer against Serbia and looked right at home on the court with them.

“After the game, you look back, you’re like, ‘Wow, I just hit a three for Team USA, with this team, and arguably the greatest Olympic team ever assembled’… So it was crazy,” Potter admitted. With this added experience on his resume, the 26-year-old still has a long way to go in his basketball career. By the looks of it, his name is soon going to be on everybody’s lips. What are your thoughts on him?

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.