In light of the accusations against Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter, the younger brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr., NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said the punishment could go as far as banishment from the league.
Porter, 24, is essentially said to have bet the under on his prop-wager lines. Citing injury or illness, Porter left two games that led to his prop bets being the biggest money winners of the night. The NBA prohibits players and all league employees from betting on any NBA events, including prop bets.
NBA Banishment on the Table for Jontay Porter
“I have enormous range of discipline available to me,” Silver says, per the Associated Press. “It’s cardinal sin what he’s accused of in the NBA. The ultimate extreme option I have is to ban him from the game. That’s the level of authority I have here because there’s nothing more serious.”
“I mean, this is not new that there’s unsavory behavior, even illegal behavior, around sports betting,” Silver said. “I guess my point is that to the extent it’s going to exist, if you have a regulated environment, you’re going to have a better chance of detecting it than you would if all the bets were placed illegally.”
On Wednesday, Porter was listed as out for personal reasons for the 10th consecutive game.
Following a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Mar. 29, Porter Jr. spoke about his brother’s situation.
‘I know what type of dude he is’ – Michael Porter Jr. doubts brother Jontay’s gambling allegations pic.twitter.com/uSuZ16GTVl
— Basketball Action (@bball_mania) March 30, 2024
“I’ve known my brother my whole life. I know what type of dude he is and I know he’s excited to play basketball and I highly doubt he would do anything to put that in jeopardy,” Porter Jr. said of the allegations against his brother.
The Last Word on Jontay Porter, For Now
Porter has made nearly $3 million in career earnings. Porter Jr. has made $79 million and has $115 million remaining on his contract.
With that said, Porter shouldn’t be cash-strapped enough to need to resort to such tactics. It’s hard to believe that his brother wouldn’t have stepped in to help if so. Nonetheless, the lifestyle of the rich and famous is why financial literacy is now part of the NBA’s onboarding program. Furthermore, Porter could have too much pride to have asked for help if he needed it, especially financially.
Even from his older brother.
