NBA Breaking: NBA apologize to Jontay Porter and still brought him back in play
The NBA has prohibited Jontay Porter, a two-way player for Toronto, following an investigation revealing his disclosure of confidential information to sports bettors and his participation in betting on games.
The league announced on Wednesday that Porter had divulged private health details to an individual known to be a bettor, prior to a game against the Sacramento Kings on March 20th. Subsequently, another individual, identified as a bettor by Porter, placed an $80,000 parlay proposition bet through an online sportsbook, aiming to win $1.1 million by betting on Porter’s underperformance in the game.
Porter played only three minutes in the Sacramento game, citing illness. The suspicious betting activity led to the freezing of the bet and prevented its payout.
The NBA became aware of the dubious bets through licensed sports betting operators and a monitoring organization for legal betting markets.
Furthermore, the league disclosed that Porter, brother of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., made at least 13 wagers on NBA games between January and March while with the Raptors or their G League affiliate. These bets ranged from $15 to $22,000, totaling $54,904, with winnings amounting to $21,965. None of these bets involved games in which Porter played.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized the importance of upholding the integrity of NBA competition and indicated that Porter’s actions warranted severe punishment. He also highlighted the need to evaluate the existing regulatory framework, including the types of bets allowed on games and players.
Porter’s behavior violated the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and its players’ union, which prohibits players from wagering on NBA or G League games.
Porter’s statistical performance for the Raptors during the season included averages of 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 26 games, with five starts. He had previously played 11 games for Memphis in the 2020-21 season.
The Raptors concluded the season with a 25-57 record, placing third from the bottom in the Eastern Conference, 11 games behind the final play-in tournament position.
