Bobby Portis Jr. picks No. 95 for Miami Heat after spotting I-95 highway sign
MIAMI, July 18. No. 95 will be Bobby Portis Jr.'s jersey number with the Miami Heat, the forward said, and the decision came down to a highway sign he spotted while driving south. Portis, who wore No. 9 with the Milwaukee Bucks, said he saw an I-95 South marker on the interstate during the drive and settled on the number then. He was born in 1995, a point he later described as a secondary consideration.
Key takeaways
- Bobby Portis Jr. will wear No. 95 with the Miami Heat, a number he chose after spotting an I-95 South highway sign while driving to Miami.
- Portis said his 1995 birth year was only a secondary reason for the number, ranking behind the highway sign.
- Portis wore No. 9 with the Milwaukee Bucks but ruled it out because he considered it 'a Milwaukee thing.'
- The Bucks traded Portis to Miami along with Giannis Antetokounmpo in a multi-player deal that sent Nate Ament, Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jakucionis, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, and multiple draft picks to Milwaukee.
- Miami is Portis's fifth NBA franchise after the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, New York Knicks, and Milwaukee Bucks.
MIAMI, July 18. No. 95 will be Bobby Portis Jr.'s jersey number with the Miami Heat, the forward said, and the decision came down to a highway sign he spotted while driving south. Portis, who wore No. 9 with the Milwaukee Bucks, said he saw an I-95 South marker on the interstate during the drive and settled on the number then. He was born in 1995, a point he later described as a secondary consideration.
The trade that moved Portis to South Florida
The Milwaukee Bucks dealt Portis to Miami alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in a multi-player transaction. Milwaukee received Nate Ament, Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jakucionis, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, and a number of draft picks in return. The deal ended Portis's time in Milwaukee and gave both him and Antetokounmpo a new address in South Florida.
Before Milwaukee, Portis played for the Chicago Bulls, the Washington Wizards, and the New York Knicks. Miami is his fifth franchise. Each previous stop came with a different number, and he said he intended to keep it that way.
Why No. 9 stayed in Milwaukee
Portis said he ruled out his old number before he unpacked anything in Miami. "I didn't want to wear No. 9 because that's a Milwaukee thing for me," he said. "So, I wanted to change it up a little bit." The answer came from the road. "I was looking up at the sign and it said '95 South,'" Portis said. "And if you don't know, you can take 95 all the way to Miami. So 95 is where I'm at now."
He acknowledged afterward that 1995, the year he was born, added a second connection to the number. His own account puts the highway sign ahead of the birth year.
From the interstate to the floor
Interstate 95 runs the length of the Eastern Seaboard. Portis followed it south, and the sign he passed on the way became the number he will wear. The choice carries no tribute to a retired player, no family reference. It came off the road. Portis said so himself, and the sign on the highway is the source he is willing to name.