Time away from social media has helped Kevin Porter Jr. on court

Sometimes in life, it is good to step away from the things that distract you and take away your focus from your main objective. Some individuals call it a “reality check” to help them recenter their lives and get back on track.

One recent example was Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr., who was tired of being distracted by all the negativity on social media and decided to deactivate all his accounts earlier this month. He needed time to focus on himself and the essential things in life.

Fans noticed Porter’s absence from social media after a home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 10, where he scored only eight points in 28 minutes. Many began to bombard platforms such as Twitter to find out why they had not seen anything from Porter, and then it became evident that his accounts were not present anymore.

Yet the one thing fans did notice the next night was Porter helping Houston secure a win in San Antonio with 12 points in the fourth quarter to outduel high school friend and current Spurs star DeJounte Murray.

Porter, 21, used his newfound focus to help lead the Rockets to their first successful road trip of the season with a 3-2 record over five games. He averaged 17.8 points and 6.6 assists per game during that time, scoring in double digits all five games after only completing that task once in the previous five outings.

“I tend to take breaks from social media,” Porter said after Monday’s team practice at Toyota Center. “Nowadays, social media is used as negative more than positive, and it was created for positivity, but it is 2022, so you know how that goes. I just advise people to take a break. There is a lot of fake stuff out there that you see.”

Rockets head coach Stephen Silas was unaware that his starting point guard had stepped away from all social media platforms, but he said he was happy by the growth and maturity of Porter:

Coach Silas also elaborated on the communication he has had with Porter since the New Year’s Day game against the Denver Nuggets. After a verbal altercation with long-time assistant coach John Lucas at halftime, he left the Toyota Center. Porter was suspended for one-game and apologized to his teammates and coaches.

“My communication with him was more about our relationship and his relationship with his teammates,” Silas said. “He has been great. He has been focused and locked in.”

After playing five games on the road, the Rockets will get a chance to play in front of their home crowd at Toyota Center for the next four games, starting with the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night.

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