Jontay Porter is banned for life from the NBA, so he is trying his luck in another pro basketball league instead.
The notorious former Toronto Raptors big man Porter is planning to play next month in the United States Basketball League (USBL) for the Seattle Superhawks, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reported Wednesday. The resurrected USBL is set to begin its new season on March 7.
“I am just trying to do what I can to provide for my family,” Porter was quoted as saying by The Athletic.
Still only 26 years old, Porter played in the NBA and the NBA G League from 2020-24. But he received a lifetime ban from the NBA in Apr. 2024 amid an illegal gambling scandal in which Porter allegedly provided confidential information about his own health to bettors so that they could cash in on his prop bets for particular games.
Porter also faced federal criminal charges over the scandal and ended up pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is still currently awaiting sentencing, and some stunning texts that Porter supposedly sent to bettors have since emerged.
Meanwhile, the USBL is about to embark on its second iteration after first launching in 1985 and ceasing operations in 2008. Porter is alleged to have committed the one cardinal sin of sports betting while he was playing in the NBA, but now apparently he will be trying his luck with playing in the USBL.
