Bobby Portis brings 'blue-collar' mentality to Team USA in FIBA World Cup

Bobby Portis has started 88 of his 208 career games wearing Milwaukee across his chest, beginning with the 2020-21 season that saw him help the Bucks win their first championship in five decades. In those three seasons he’s set career highs in scoring, rebounding, three-point shooting and overall shooting. He finished third in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting last season.

On his back, on his shoulders, are his family and Little Rock, Arkansas. Always.

He wears them all proudly.

Yet for Portis the letters on his current jersey have hit a little different: United States of America

For all those reasons – and a few more – Portis was selected for the United States’ men’s national team by managing director Grant Hill and head coach Steve Kerr to compete in the FIBA World Cup, which begins Friday. The U.S. opens Group Play on Saturday against New Zealand in Manila, Philippines, and a berth in the 2024 Summer Olympics is on the line.

It’s why walking into training camp and seeing “USA” on the jersey – and particularly the first exhibition against Puerto Rico in Las Vegas on Aug. 7 was extra special.

“When I first seen USA across my chest, obviously it was different, man,” Portis said. “Obviously all us play for our respective teams in the league, representing Milwaukee, representing my family and friends and myself – but this is a little different having USA across our chest.”

In five warmup games prior to the United States squad heading to the Philippines, Portis logged about 40 minutes and scored 33 points. He shot 56% (15 for 27) from the floor and pulled down 23 rebounds. All his appearances came off the bench, and his minutes and lineup combinations fluctuated as Kerr figured out his groupings.

But the head coach knew going in whatever he did with Portis, however he deployed him, the Bucks’ big man would be ready for anything.

“We’re gonna need everybody and what Bobby provides us is a guy with size ad physicality and a pick-and-pop game, someone who can step out and make threes form that big position, which changes the floor spacing,” Kerr said. “He’s a great option for us. I had a really good conversation with Bobby after the selection was made, and like all the guys he’s just excited. He’s excited to be part of it.”

Added Hill: “I think one of the fascinating parts of this exercise was the problem solving and the process of putting together the puzzle. And I think being very thoughtful, trying to put together a team, trying to be prepared for anything and everything that we anticipate seeing and going against while on this journey.

"And having someone with some experience, someone who can bring a blue-collar element someone who’s won – although on an NBA stage. And his role, his role for us, the vision would be very similar to his role with his team in the NBA.

"His professionalism, his sort of blue-collar mentality, his toughness and also his experience. There’s tremendous value (in him).

The U.S. is the reigning Olympic gold medalist but have been supplanted by Spain as the No. 1 in the world rankings. In the last World Cup (2019), the U.S. finished a program-worst seventh. The team needs to finish in the top two of North and South American competitors to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

“Obviously I know I’m playing for the United States, I know what our calling is, I know that our standard is gold,” Portis said. “Anything less than that is kind of failure for us. But with me man, I just have the same mentality a daily basis, man. I’m still counted out.

"A lot of guys think that I shouldn’t be on the team. So I’ve got to go out there and prove it on a daily basis that I belong here and that I can help this team at the highest level.”

Team USA begins its tournament with group play, which includes New Zealand, Jordan and Greece – but a June knee surgery knocked Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the competition. So when the Americans face the Greeks on Aug. 28, Portis will not get the chance to go head-to-head with his Bucks teammate for the first time in international competition.

Which is a bit unfortunate, as Antetokounmpo has been calling Portis one of the best American big men for years – a subjective declaration that has been objectively validated.

“Absolutely man,” Portis said. “Just to have a guy that’s an MVP candidate on a yearly basis, arguably the best player in basketball, not one of the best basketball players in the world, say that often about myself and have that respect for me, it’s fun man. Just to hear that but to be here is just a whole different experience. Just to be around some of the best players around the world is definitely humbling.”

Portis now has that distinction as the United States once again begins international competition.

“I just wanted to get better on a daily basis, you never really think about; I know I didn’t think about playing USA Basketball,” he said. “I was just trying to get better on a daily basis and just let the dominoes fall how they fall, just being myself on a daily basis. Then this opportunity presented itself and I’m forever blessed and grateful to be here.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bobby Portis brings 'blue-collar' mentality to Team USA in World Cup