The NBA has permanently banned Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter from the league after he violated its gambling policy.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made the announcement on Wednesday, emphasizing the critical importance of maintaining the integrity of the sport.
“Protecting the integrity of our competition is paramount for our fans, teams, and everyone involved in the NBA. This is why we are imposing the harshest penalty on Jontay Porter for his clear breaches of our gambling rules,” Silver stated.
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The reaction on social media was swift and critical:
One user expressed disbelief, saying, “Wow. Threw his whole career away.”
Sports analyst Geoff Schwartz pointed out, “NBA has all the receipts. No choice but a lifetime ban… gave inside information about his health status… purposely limited his game participation for props to go under… Insanely dumb thinking you wouldn’t get caught for this with all eyes on legal sports wagering now.”
Sports writer Pat Forde tweeted, “Deserved. Incredible career suicide by Porter.”
Mason Ginsberg also chimed in, stating, “1) Jontay Porter is an idiot and deserves every bit of this punishment. 2) ‘All three bets lost’ is a SAVAGE burn from the league office.”
Jontay Porter, the brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr., came into the NBA undrafted after an impressive high school career and an SEC All-Freshman season at Missouri.
He initially signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. His NBA career has abruptly ended after just 37 games and five starts.
