Michael Porter Jr.’s latest podcast conversation took a sharp turn when Jason Lee challenged the NBA star over his views on sexuality, Christianity, and what he believes the Bible says about same sex relationships.
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During Lee’s appearance on Porter’s “Curious Mike” podcast, the Brooklyn Nets forward described himself as “Overly straight” while discussing attraction and his religious beliefs. Porter, who has spoken openly about being a Christian throughout his career, said he does not believe people of the same gender should be together. That position quickly opened the door to a larger debate about faith, judgment, and how some religious communities treat LGBTQ+ people.Lee, who is openly gay, pushed back on the idea that being gay should automatically be treated as a ticket to hell. He argued that Christianity also identifies behaviors such as lying, gluttony, and cheating as sinful, yet those actions are not always discussed with the same intensity as homosexuality.
“I love when people use the church and Bible, ’cause we see so many Catholic pastors molesting kids and doing weird s**t… I share the same God as you do, and I don’t believe I’m going to hell… Now that we are more visible, people tryna say, ‘Look, they wanna make our kids gay.’”
Lee’s response shifted the conversation away from Porter’s personal sexuality and toward a broader question about selective religious judgment. His point was that visibility should not be confused with recruitment, and that LGBTQ+ people being more publicly represented does not mean they are attempting to influence children’s sexuality.
The exchange is especially notable because faith has long been part of Porter’s public identity. Long before he reached the NBA, ESPN reported that his parents, Michael Porter Sr. and Lisa Porter, spent more than two decades working as evangelists. The Porter children also grew up participating in Bible study, while Porter’s social media identity as a young player prominently reflected his “God 1st” outlook.
Porter’s willingness to discuss religion, relationships, and controversial cultural topics has also become a major part of his “Curious Mike” platform. In recent weeks, comments connected to the podcast have repeatedly sparked online discussion, including conversations about sexuality and gender identity.
The 28-year-old forward is currently with the Brooklyn Nets after Denver traded him to Brooklyn in July 2025. Porter was originally selected 14th overall by the Nuggets in the 2018 NBA Draft and became a key member of Denver’s 2023 championship team before the organization sent him and a 2032 first-round pick to the Nets for Cameron Johnson.
But this conversation had little to do with basketball.
Instead, it put two men with very different lived experiences and interpretations of faith face to face, with Lee making it clear that he rejects the idea that his sexuality separates him from God.
As the clip continues circulating online, the debate surrounding their exchange is likely to extend well beyond Porter and Lee, especially as conversations about religion, sexuality, and LGBTQ+ visibility remain deeply divided.
