Jontay Porter, a remarkable two-way player for the Raptors, received an unexpected lifetime ban from the National Basketball Association (NBA).
BREAKING: Jontay Porter has received a lifetime ban for violating the league’s gaming rules pic.twitter.com/bLyJuP8dXZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 17, 2024
Porter has been found guilty of “disclosing confidential information to sports betters”, “limiting his participation in one or more games for betting purposes”, and “betting on NBA games.”
In the official release, the NBA clearly detailed Jontay Porter’s reckless behavior. Including the time when he played ‘a game of chances’ by disclosing his health status to an NBA bettor prior to a match against Kings.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/h2TIkaE7xs
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 17, 2024
“A league investigation found that Porter violated league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games,”
“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,” Silver said in a statement. “While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players. Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game.”
It was discovered that another gambler placed a wager exceeding $80,000 on Porter props, potentially standing at a chance to win over a million had the proposition played out.
However, the scenario raised suspicions and the sports book did not settle the bet owing to the unusual betting patterns.
The league further uncovered Porter’s persistent clandestine activities from January to March this year.
During this period he managed to place bets on 13 NBA games implicating both the Raptors and the team’s G League affiliate.
In all, Porter raked in more than $20,000 with bets mounting over $50,000. This even included proposing ‘parlays’ that hinted at Raptors’ defeat.
Needless to say, the gambles didn’t come to fruition, leaving the athlete mired in controversy.
With undisclosed sportsbooks and integrity monitors tipping off the NBA about the March 20 bets on the Kings game, Porter found himself locked out from the Raptors from March 25 till the regular season concluded.
This unsettling development came at a time when he was making significant strides in his breakthrough year in NBA, despite being undrafted from Missouri, thanks to his past wrangle with multiple ACL tears.
Prior to this scandalous disclosure, Porter had played a solid 11 games for the Grizzlies during the 202-21 season which made up a portion of his three-year, $2.4 million deal.
He was on track, raking up to $400,000 as a two-way player with the Raptors, until his off-court activities cast a long-lasting shadow on his budding career.
