In an unprecedented move, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has issued a lifetime ban to Toronto Raptors' forward Jontay Porter for his involvement in betting on games and sharing confidential information with gamblers. This marks the first time an NBA player has been expelled for gambling since 1954, when Jack Molinas of the Fort Wayne Pistons faced a similar fate.
Porter, a 24-year-old Missouri alum, has been found guilty of "blatant violations" of the league's gaming rules, according to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. "There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport," Silver stated, underscoring the severity of Porter's actions.
The league's investigation revealed that Porter engaged in widespread gambling, a direct violation of NBA rules. He allegedly disclosed confidential information about his health status to an individual known to be an NBA bettor ahead of a game on March 20. Porter claimed to be ill during the game and played only three minutes, a move that appears to have been designed to influence a wager.
An $80,000 online bet was placed on Porter underperforming in the March 20 game, a bet that could have yielded a $1.1 million payout. However, the unusually large amount raised suspicions, leading to the wager being frozen and not paid out.
The NBA also found that Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using an associate's online betting account while he was with the Raptors' G League affiliate from January to March. These bets ranged from $15 to $22,000, totaling $54,094. None of these bets were on games in which Porter played, but one did call for a Toronto loss. Porter profited $21,965 from these wagers.
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) has expressed its support for the NBA's gambling guidelines, stating that adherence to these policies is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the sport. The NBPA also pledged to provide Porter with the necessary resources during this time.
The announcement of Porter's ban caught the Raptors by surprise. "You don’t want this for the kid, you don’t want this for our team and we don’t want this for our league, that’s for sure,” said Raptors president Masai Ujiri, expressing his shock at the development.
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