NBA announces massive punishment for Jontay Porter over gambling scandal
Mar 11, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter (34) reacts after a play in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA has reached its decision in the investigation into Jontay Porter’s alleged gambling activity, and the punishment for the Toronto Raptors center is as severe as it gets.
Porter has been banned from the NBA for life, the league announced on Wednesday.
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver on banning Jontay Porter from the NBA: pic.twitter.com/Zs3Y8DXcmL
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 17, 2024
The NBA’s investigation began when league officials were alerted to irregularities with prop bets involving Porter. Two games that were looked at were Toronto’s Jan. 26 game against the Los Angeles Clippers and the team’s March 20 game against the Sacramento Kings. In both games, there was increased interest in Porter’s under props. The center left both games early due to injury issues. In both games, those who wagered the under on Porter’s stats won their bets.
According to the NBA, investigators determined that Porter disclosed confidential information about his health status to a person he knew to be an NBA bettor prior to Toronto’s March 20 game. Another person with connections to Porter then placed an $80,000 parlay with a potential payout of $1.1 million that Porter would underperform in the game. The bet was frozen.
Porter himself was found to have made 13 bets with a total payout $76,059. His net winnings were $21,965. Three of the games were parlays that included the Raptors losing. None of those bets involved a game in which Porter played.
Investigation shows on the 13 NBA bets Porter made: Total payout was $76,059, resulting in net winnings of $21,965. Three of the bets were multi-game parlay bets that included one Raptors game, in which Porter bet that the Raptors would lose. https://t.co/U3p7sdeSX0
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 17, 2024
Porter played in college at Missouri and signed with the Memphis Grizzlies as an undrafted free agent in 2020. After making 11 appearances for the Grizzlies, Porter was waived and spent the next several seasons in the NBA G League. He then got a two-way deal from the Raptors last December and averaged 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game over 26 total appearances for Toronto this season. He last suited up on March 22.
Porter is the younger brother of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., who has defended his younger brother during the investigation.
