The NBA banned former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter from the league for life after an investigation revealed he allegedly bet on NBA games, the league announced Wednesday.
An NBA investigation found that Porter allegedly disclosed confidential information about his injury status to a known sports bettor, Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
Prior to a March 20 game, a known associate of Porter’s placed an $80,000 prop bet for Porter to underperform. Porter left that game early, reportedly taking himself out due to illness. The bet, which would’ve paid out over $1 million, was frozen due to unusual activity, NBA.com reported.
Per league statement: The league’s investigation found that prior to the Raptors’ March 20 game, Porter disclosed confidential information about his own health status to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor. Another individual with whom Porter associated and knew to be an… https://t.co/6oKyi0Fhty
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 17, 2024
Porter also allegedly placed a number of bets on NBA games himself, though none of the alleged bets involved games he was playing in, according to NBA.com. (RELATED: Shohei Ohtani’s Former Interpreter Surrenders To Law Enforcement)
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver earlier hinted at the potential for a lifetime ban for Porter. “It’s a cardinal sin, what he’s accused of in the NBA, and the ultimate, extreme option I have is to ban him from the game,” Silver told reporters on April 10. “That’s the level of authority I have here. Because there’s nothing more serious, I think, around this league when it comes to gambling: betting on our games. And that is a direct player involvement. And so, the investigation is ongoing, but the consequences could be very severe.”
Porter is the first NBA player to face disciplinary action for gambling since many states began legalizing online sports betting. The murky market creates potential issues as, while players are not allowed to participate in the practice per league rules, the league is partnered with both DraftKings and FanDuel sports books.
A similar scandal struck Major League Baseball when the Los Angeles Dodgers fired superstar Shohei Ohtani’s translator Ippei Mizuhara after investigators found he allegedly stole millions from Ohtani to cover gambling debts.