As a member of the NBA World Champion Denver Nuggets, Michael Porter Jr. often has to think quickly on the court and react to the situation around him. This weekend in Taiwan, those instincts paid off for Porter as he had an awkward moment with a baseball fan prior to throwing out the first pitch at a CPBL (Chinese Professional Baseball League) game.
Watch Michael Porter Jr. of the Denver Nuggets handle an awkward situation at a CPBL game
Porter was in Taiwan as part of a four-day visit, with a ceremonial first pitch as part of the itinerary. With Porter dressed in the uniform of the CPBL’s CTBC Brothers, there were some comments being made while Porter was on the mound when a fan ran up to him to give him an unexpected hug. Watch Porter’s reaction to not only the fan when he first sees him, but also as the fan tries to evade security while running around the field.
Crazy fan ran onto the field and hugged NBA player Michael Porter Jr during the first pitch ceremony. #CPBL #NBA pic.twitter.com/iQfskYpugF
— CPBL STATS 🪬🔮 (@GOCPBL) September 10, 2023
Unlike the moment recently when Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. was inadvertently tackled by fans when the Braves were visiting the Colorado Rockies in Denver, there was seemingly little chance of any harm coming to Porter. You can sense his ease by giving a quick hug back to the fan and making some comments to him. You can also see Porter laughing as the situation unfolded around him.
If Porter’s trip to Taiwan was part of an effort to spread goodwill, the trip was off to a good success even before he arrived at the stadium to throw a first pitch. Fans reportedly arrived at the airport in the early morning hours well ahead of Porter’s arrival to try to catch a glimpse of him. Some of them considered themselves baseball fans, showing that Porter can make an impact around the world on the field or the court.