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Jontay Porter has just been banned from the NBA for LIFE … after league officials say the Toronto Raptors player not only bet on NBA contests — but he tried to help gamblers win cash by limiting his minutes during a game too.
Adam Silver just announced the historic punishment on Wednesday … explaining league investigators discovered that in March, Porter took part in a gambling scheme that ultimately called into question the integrity of the NBA’s competition.
They claim the 24-year-old told confidential information about his health to at least one known bettor. They say another bettor who Porter knew then placed $80K on a wager that guessed Porter “would underperform” in the Raptors’ March 20 tilt with the Sacramento Kings.
The league said the bettor stood to make $1.1 MILLION if it hit.
NBA officials say Porter pulled himself from the contest early — due to what he claimed was an illness. But, the league said that because of the “unusual betting activity” … the bet was “frozen” and “not paid out.”
Additionally, Silver revealed NBA investigators found that while Porter was playing for both the Raptors and their G-League affiliate from January through March, he made “at least 13 bets on NBA games.”
Silver said Porter used an associate’s online betting account to make the wagers, and scored over $20,000 in profits.
“None of the bets involved any game in which Porter played,” the league said in a statement. “Three of the bets were multi-game parlay bets that included one Raptors game, in which Porter bet that the Raptors would lose. All three bets lost.”
Silver and the NBA said they’re in contact with the feds — and have promised to continue to investigate Porter … and turn over any future findings.
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport,” Silver said, “which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment.”
Porter — who played his first NBA game in the 2020-21 season — has logged minutes in 37 contests in his career. This season, he started five total games for Toronto, tallying 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per tilt.