David Zalubowski/AP
Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter has received a lifetime ban by the NBA for numerous instances of violating the league’s gambling policy.
The league opened an investigation into suspicious betting activity in late March. Sports books reported that prop bets involving Porter’s unders — meaning he had to finish under a specific stat total for the bet to win — were among the biggest winners on multiple of those occasions. During those occasions, Porter left games early due to minor injuries.
The bets raised red flags because Porter is a two-way player, meaning he’s under contract by both the Raptors and its G League affiliate. He played in just 26 games this season and averaged 4.4 points per page — yet his best were some of the biggest money winners on a handful of nights.
Following the investigation, the league announced Wednesday that Porter has been banned.
“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,” the NBA said in a statement. “Another individual with whom Porter associated and knew to be an NBA bettor subsequently placed an $80,000 parlay proposition bet with an online sports book, to win $1.1 million, wagering that Porter would underperform in the March 20 game.
“The league’s investigation also found Porter limited his own participation to influence the outcome of one or more bets on his performance in at least one Raptors game. In the March 20 game, Porter played on three minutes, claiming that he felt ill. Due to the unusual betting activity and actions of the player, the $80,000 proposition bet was frozen and was not paid off.”
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/h2TIkaE7xs
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 17, 2024
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