OFFICIAL: NBA ANNOUNCED THE PUNISHMENT FOR TORONTO RAPTORS STAR JONTAY PORTER, THE HEAVIEST PUNISHMENT IN NBA HISTORY (kf)
TORONTO Raptors star Jontay Porter has been handed a historic ban by the NBA.
The NBA announced on Wednesday that Porter, 24, has been handed a lifetime ban after being found in breach of the league’s gambling rules.
The NBA has given Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors a lifetime banCredit: Getty Images
Porter was an undrafted free agent out of Missouri in 2019Credit: Getty Images
“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,” the league said in a statement.
According to the statement, ahead of Toronto’s 123-89 loss to the Sacramento Kings on March 20, “Porter disclosed confidential information about his own health status to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor.”
This led another bettor whom Porter knew to place an $80,000 parlay prop bet to win $1 million.
The bet favored a poor performance by Porter, which the league found he intentionally orchestrated.
The Raptors two-way star even limited his own game time, an NBA investigation showed.
This was done to influence bets on his performances in at least one game.
Porter also placed his own bets via a friend’s account, with amounts ranging from $15 to $22,000, although he didn’t play in the games he bet on himself.
“Three of the bets were multi-game parlay bets that included one Raptors game, in which Porter bet that the Raptors would lose,” the statement added.
He lost all three bets.
In response to the investigation, the NBA’s commissioner, Adam Silver, released a blunt explanation as to why the league landed upon such a brutal ruling.
Pat McAfee told ‘you should have backed me up’ by Shams Charania after NBA insider has name mispronounced on live TV
“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,” he said.
“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.”
The investigation into Porter was revealed on March 25 by ESPN.
The NBA found Porter has placed bets worth between $15 and $22,000Credit: Getty
This brings to an end a brief NBA career that saw him make just 37 appearances.
An undrafted free agent out of Missouri in 2019, Porter went on to play 11 games for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2020 before joining the G League’s Wisconsin Herd in 2022.
A stint with the Motor City Cruise followed before Porter got a second shot at the NBA with Toronto in December 2023.
In 26 games he averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.
Porter last appeared on March 22 when the Raptors lost 123-103 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Neither the Raptors nor Porter have commented on his suspension.
Porter made 26 appearances for Toronto this seasonCredit: Getty
