Basketball player Jontay Porter was permanently banned by the NBA due to his participation in betting related to league games. The punishment was announced by Commissioner Adam Silver in an official statement released last Wednesday (17).
Porter, 24, joined the NBA in the 2020-2021 season, having played 11 games for the Memphis Grizzlies. However, his career in the league was interrupted, spending part of his time in the G League.
This season, he played in 26 games for the Toronto Raptors, starting five of them. Thus, recording averages of 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
According to the investigation conducted by the NBA, Porter placed bets worth US$54,094 on league games, making a profit of approximately US$22,000. Another person close to the player placed the bets on his account.
Although he didn’t participate in the games he bet on, he placed three combined bets involving different teams, including Raptors loss predictions.
Other NBA-Related Jontay Porter Violations
Additionally, other violations involving Porter were discovered. He allegedly shared information about his health status with a bettor, aiming to influence bets on his performance during a game against the Sacramento Kings, on March 20.
This person invested US$80,000 in the bet, with a potential return of US$1.1 million. However, the betting operator canceled the bet due to suspicious activity.
Porter would also have limited his participation in some matches, aiming to influence the results of bets. These conducts seriously violate the NBA’s policies regarding betting and game integrity.
Porter’s case reminds us of the importance of integrity and ethics in sports, highlighting the NBA’s determination. The player’s permanent ban demonstrates how seriously the league takes these issues and reinforces the message that such practices are unacceptable and will have severe consequences.
See the official note from the NBA:
