Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested on Monday following an alleged physical altercation with his girlfriend.
Police responded to a call of a dispute at the Millennium Hotel in New York City at around 6:45 a.m. Monday, according to NBC 4 in New York. When officers arrived, they observed a laceration on the right side of a 26-year-old woman’s face.
The alleged victim told police that Porter struck her multiple times and put his hands around her neck. The woman was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
The altercation reportedly began after Porter and his girlfriend had been out together and the woman returned to the hotel room. Porter is said to have become angry when he was locked out, and the situation escalated.
Porter was arrested and charged with assault and strangulation, which are both felonies.
The Rockets said in a statement that they are “in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter” and will have no further comment at this time.
Porter, 23, signed a 4-year, $82.5 million contract extension with the Rockets last October. Only the first year, which is worth $15.86 million, is guaranteed. The Rockets structured the contract that way due to Porter’s problematic history.
Porter was originally with the Cleveland Cavaliers but got traded after an outburst. During the 2021-22 season, he ditched the Rockets mid-game after getting called out by a coach.
Porter averaged a career-high 19.2 points per game last season. The former USC star played in 59 games.
