It used to be commonplace to face a gambling-related ban from the National Basketball Association.
Many collegiate basketball players were barred from the NBA for life as a result of a point-shaving controversy; other players were even prohibited from entering the league.
For the same reason, Tony Jackson, Doug Moe, and Roger Brown were all prohibited in the 1960s. After shaving points, Connie Hawkins was unfairly suspended from the NBA and forced to file a lawsuit to get back in.
However, no player has faced an NBA suspension for gambling since 1966. For their drug use, 14 players have been given lifetime bans; eight of them—including former Raptors guard Jalen Harris—have been successful in their applications for reinstatement. In 58 years, no one has faced a gambling ban.
However, one Toronto Raptors player might be on the verge of joining the list.
Jontay Porter might follow suit.
Jontay Porter, a two-way center, has been working hard this season to try to get back into the NBA after a string of ailments prevented him from playing more than a few games here and there.
He has demonstrated genuine bursts of talent by fusing excellent passing, outside shooting, and rim protection.
Porter looked to be destined for a long career in the NBA. Porter is the younger brother of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.
All of that now seems to be in peril. Porter has been absent from the NBA for “personal” reasons for the past several games; ESPN has reported that the NBA is looking into Porter for several instances of abnormal betting.
It all started with two particular games where there was a ton of action on the “under” of different prop bets on Jontay Porter (under on 3-pointers, assists, rebounds, and points).
Subsequently, Porter reported feeling ill and checked himself out early in both games. In the first, he claimed to have an eye injury.
As a result, both games paid out on the under for each category and gave huge rewards to gamblers who constructed parlays on several categories that all came in.
This will only become a bigger issue as the NBA sets the example for the legalization of sports betting and prepares to expand NBA League Pass to include in-game betting (including prop bets).
Some players, like wide receiver Jameson Williams of the Detroit Lions or former Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley, have been suspended for putting bets on games they weren’t participating in.
Porter was accused of manipulating a game he was in, even if it was only to get out of it instead of making big shots or shaving scores.
Although Porter isn’t well-known, he might be used as a scapegoat to try and discourage other players from getting their hands dirty in this situation.
Aside from the convenient “fall guy” narrative, Porter would be great if he had solid proof to clear his name, but that doesn’t seem to be happening.
If it were, one would assume that his side of the story would have surfaced by now.
Rather than supporting him, Darko Rajakovic, Porter’s head coach, only said that Porter substituted himself out of both games. Porter’s brother gave him broad support but refrained from saying outright that Jontay hadn’t done the things he was charged with.
Can Porter give a simple explanation for this?
The less catastrophic reading of what happened is that Porter disclosed his feelings a little too freely before each game, and someone close to him exploited that information to make a wager.
That doesn’t seem very plausible, and it’s more likely just a theoretical argument his side is using to try and shield him from the worst-case scenario.
Far more probable? A marginal NBA player who has made no secret of his personal interest in money and gambling sent information to bettors to help them hit the under, then purposefully withdrew from those games.
Even though he wouldn’t have signed his name to such wagers, he probably used enough close friends and family that the linkages would be formed.
It is absurd that Porter believed this would not be blatantly clear and that he would not be discovered right away.
Why would somebody place a wager using props from Jontay Porter? It seemed inevitable that huge sums of money would be spent on a two-way player for one of the poorest clubs in the league.
This could all be resolved if Jontay Porter had an alibi, an explanation for what transpired, or unquestionable evidence that he was not involved.
He doesn’t. Not even a plausible explanation makes sense given the circumstances and spares him from guilt.
Though a sentence capped at a particular number of games is a possibility, a lifetime ban is far more likely for Jontay Porter.
And Porter will very well deserve his, in contrast to Connie Hawkins. Careless, stupid evasion of league regulations that will cost him his entire career.
