NBA issues lifetime ban to Jontay Porter

For the first time in 70 years, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has seen its hand forced to issue a lifetime ban related to gambling offenses and undermining the integrity of the game. The violation concerns Jontay Porter, a 24-year-old Toronto Raptor center and forward player, whose career in professional basketball has ended because of his gambling habits.

The ban, shocking as it sounds, is not exactly unexpected. Prior to announcing the ban, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that match-fixing, gambling, and sharing insider information to influence betting was "a cardinal sin" by league standards, and that Portner would most likely face the toughest of penalties.

At the time the investigation had not been completed, so Silver did not exactly say the word ban, but argued that the consequences could be "very severe" for any player who bets against their own team and on their own games.

According to the NBA, which published an official statement into the matter, Porter has been found guilty on several counts by the league’s investigators. First, he disclosed insider information to sports bettors, and secondly, he purposefully influenced the outcome of a game by limiting his participation in at least one game, the statement explained.

The game in question took place on March 20, 2024, against the Sacramento Kings. Porter similarly exited a game against the Brooklyn Nets. Apart from this, he shared information with NBA bettors, helping them benefit. One gambler placed an $80,000 parlay that Porter would underperform in the game versus the Kings, which is what flagged an issue with bookmakers.

Porter’s offenses, though, continued to pile on, as the NBA continued with its investigation. Between January and March, Porter is said to have placed 13 bets while on both home and away games, with the total amount wagered amounting to more than $54,000 and resulting in a total payout of more than $76,000.

He also bet against his own team on at least three occasions, although the Raptors never actually lost. The NBA, though, has found ill intent behind these wagers, as it would be unethical for a player who is on a team to root for their opponents.

Porter’s betting offenses surfaced very quickly after the NBA launched a formal investigation into the player in late March, and shortly after the Kings game.

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