Former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA following a gambling scandal.
He was banned on April 17 following an investigation into prop-betting irregularities.
Porter disclosed information to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor. A total of $54,094 was placed and resulted in Porter losing money, only winning $21,965 from his bets.
With gambling becoming more and more prominent, Porter will surely not be the only athlete to find themselves in these kinds of situations. But, it is not worth the risk as the former Raptor has cost himself his NBA career.
Now months removed from his ban, more details are coming out. Porter allegedly threw games because he was in significant debt, per Kyle Schnitzer of the New York Post:
“Federal prosecutors allege that Porter had racked up large gambling debts in the beginning of the year to co-conspirators, and was encouraged to clear those debts by throwing games in order for certain bets to hit.”
Plus, it is being revealed that Porter also texted his group chat saying they could get a RICO charge:
REPORT: Jontay Porter texted his group chat saying they “might just get hit with a RICO” on the same day he was banned from the NBA for sports betting.
(via @SbondyNBA) pic.twitter.com/JIb6kBTCZM
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 5, 2024
To violate RICO, a person must partake in a pattern of racketeering activity connected to an enterprise with gambling being one of those offenses.
These new details add insult to injury, continuing to show how corrupt Porter’s thought process was.
It will be worth monitoring if some charges come from this and if Porter and those affiliated with this scandal end up serving significant jail time.
Ultimately, Porter threw away an opportunity to play in the NBA long-term possibly with the Raptors.
Larry Nance Jr. makes joke about Jontay Porter
This story continues to get more wild and showcases how absurd this situation is. When the decision to ban Porter came about, New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. cracked a betting joke.
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