Born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, Bobby Portis became immersed in the world of basketball at a very young age. Although his first love was in football growing up, Bobby remembers quickly discovering his passion for basketball after he started playing in third grade. There was just something special about the game. It fueled his competitive drive. It inspired him to take on new challenges and step outside his comfort zone. It pushed him to work on becoming the best version of himself he could be. Committed to playing in the NBA one day, Bobby embarked on his journey in the sport. He was focused. He was determined to turn his dreams into reality. Throughout his time at Hall High School, Bobby worked daily to elevate his game and perfect his skills on the court. From winning four state championships to receiving a McDonald's All-American selection and the Mr. Basketball of Arkansas honor, Bobby earned a variety of accolades during his time in high school that began to build his legacy in the game. This was just the beginning. As he continued to work towards his dreams of playing in the NBA, Bobby started his collegiate career at the University of Arkansas—where he set an array of school records, was named the SEC Player of the Year, and became one of Arkansas’ most elite players in program history.
After his sophomore season, Bobby was ready to take the next step in his career and declared for the NBA Draft. Before he knew it, the opportunity he had been working towards since he was a kid was here. With the 22nd pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Bobby. He had done it. He had achieved his dreams of playing the game he loved on the world’s biggest stage. He hasn’t looked back since. Over the past seven seasons, Bobby has continued to expand his game and basketball IQ while also adding to his legacy. This past season, he became an NBA Champion with the Milwaukee Bucks after winning the 2021 NBA Finals. And, it doesn’t stop there. Along with his achievements on the court, Bobby has also pursued a series of incredible ventures beyond the game. From his nonprofit organization—The Bobby Portis Foundation—to his annual basketball camps and back-to-school giveaways to his “UNDERDOG” clothing brand, Bobby continues to pay it forward and give back to the Arkansas community. Through it all, Bobby remains driven by the opportunity to inspire the next generation to: work hard, stay locked in, be relentless in the pursuit of their dreams, and most importantly, embrace the journey!
Diving into your journey early on, let's talk about your time at Hall High School. You had an incredible career there and earned an array of accolades—including four state championships, a McDonald's All-American selection, and the Mr. Basketball of Arkansas honor. What did achieving these honors mean to you?
It just taught me how to work hard. Early on in my career, my first two years in high school, I didn't really play as much as a freshman and sophomore. The early struggles, the early highs and lows of what the game of basketball gives to a player, can make or break a player. It made me. It made me hungrier. It humbled me. It just made me work as hard as I could to make my dreams become reality. We won four times in a row, and it was great winning, but all the highs and lows that came with it really just built that hunger inside of me. Having my mom there and having a great supporting cast to always support me through it all was the best part of it. I tell this story all the time...My sophomore year is really what made me come back and want to keep going. It made (me) want to be an NBA player and be the best that I could be. I started my first 16-17 games in my 10th grade year, and then after that, suddenly I didn't even play anymore. The coach stopped playing me. We had like seven or eight seniors on the team, and the seniors started getting all the playing time. I thought I was one of the best players on the team, but I guess he just wanted to give some of the other seniors some scholarship looks, offers, and things like that. We made it to the championship game that year, and we won, but I just felt like I didn't have an impact. So on the way home, I cried. I cried that I didn't play. My mom has always told me to work hard. She told me I needed to start working harder, getting in the gym more, and dedicating myself more to my craft. Every time some adversity hits or anything, I just think about that because that one moment really changed my life.
From there, you embarked on your collegiate career at the University of Arkansas. Could you tell us a little bit more about your experiences there?
It was great. Going to the University of Arkansas was always a big time passion, goal, and dream of mine. I'm from Arkansas, (and) when you grow up in Arkansas, that’s all you see—Razorbacks everywhere. You go to the gas station, you see Razorbacks. You go outside to someone else's house, their neighbors have a Razorback sticker on their car or on their windshield or license plate. Or they might have a (Razorback) flag on their house. So to be able to commit to Arkansas as a 10th grader in the summertime, and to see how my hard work and dedication paid off for me to get to that point, it was great. It had always been a lifelong dream of mine like I said, and my time there was awesome. Having a coach like Mike Anderson pushing me consistently to be the best I could be was awesome. He got the best out of me every day. His big time saying is: “You are going to come here a boy, and leave a man.” I definitely left a man when I left Arkansas.
You were there for two seasons before declaring for the NBA Draft. How do you think your game elevated throughout your time there to prepare you for the next level?
My game elevated a lot. You know, going from high school to college is always different for different people. With me, I was a McDonald's All-American. I had high expectations for myself, but I knew I had high expectations from the outside world as well. I just stayed down, stayed committed to my game, spent late nights (and) early mornings in the gym, and just dedicated myself to my craft. I dedicated myself to this game of basketball. I had great friends and a great support system that loved basketball too, so it made it easy for me to go to the gym with them and be there all night. So I think from a development standpoint, (that growth) really came from me just dedicating myself to the game on a daily basis—being the first one in the gym and the last one to leave the gym with my college team. You know, just setting the standard. I think I'm a big part of why Arkansas is what it is now. Before I got there, there weren't many people that looked at going to Arkansas as “cool.” I kind of made it cool again to go there. I kind of showed people that you can go to Arkansas, and still make it to the NBA. I'm not looking for any credit for that or anything, but I just like to keep it real and I like to state the facts. I love Arkansas dearly. I love what that Razorback stands for. I love it, and you know, I rep it each and every day everywhere I go.
Now we have to talk about Draft Night! You were selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 22nd pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. What was that moment like of hearing your name being called and achieving your dreams of playing in the NBA?
It was great! If you know how the draft process works, then you know it's tough. You leave college, you tell the world that you're gonna enter your name into the draft, you have to sign with an agent, you go to your pre-draft workouts with your agency, you go to team workouts with different teams that call you in for a workout with them (as well), and then you go to Draft Night. Draft Night was great for me. Going to Draft Night, my mom, my three little brothers, and all of my support system that still supports me to this day were there. We had a great time. I thought I was going to get picked earlier than when I did, but still grateful that I got picked by the Chicago Bulls at #22. It was one of the best things, and best lifelong dreams of mine. For me to hear my name called and shake the commissioner’s hand, I mean those are feelings that you can't really even describe. You get butterflies, you get jitters. It's a great experience, and I'm just so grateful to have experienced that.
"The championship run was crazy. To go down 0-2 in the Finals, and to win four straight games. For the crowd to be cheering my name, you know, those are things I can't make up. Those are things that you live for and dream of each and every day. I'm just so happy and grateful that I was able to experience that. I'm so happy and grateful that my family was able to experience that with me."
- Bobby on becoming an NBA Champion, and what achieving this milestone meant to him.
As you took that next step and began your professional career, how was that transition from college into the league like for you? What were some challenges that you faced there?