While the news about Jontay Porter playing terribly and faking injuries during games is nothing new, the story did come full circle recently. Porter, charged with wire fraud conspiracy, pled guilty in court to the accusations, ensuring that everything we believed was true. After pleading guilty, Porter was arraigned at a New York federal courthouse, which released him on a $250,000 bond. It was important for the bond to be set so high, as Porter’s case is connected to the cases of four other men, none of whom have made their own plea deals yet.
Jontay Porter has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a case tied to a betting scandal from earlier this year and could face a little over four years in prison
Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA for violating the league’s gaming rules pic.twitter.com/K8wEOj9zHH
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 10, 2024
Former NBA Player Admits to Gambling Crime
Pleading guilty will likely help his case and sentencing. Nonetheless, we still don’t know what the punishment for Porter will be. The NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver already took the right measures, banning the former Raptors big man from the league. However, jail time appears inevitable. It could range from under three-and-a-half years to over four years, along with potential fines and restitution fees. Whatever the case may be, Porter isn’t getting off-free. Porter made the following statement in court.
“I know what I did was wrong, unlawful, and I am deeply sorry.”
Aside from the possibility of making quick cash, Porter in part did what he did to clear gambling debts. According to Porter’s lawyer, he had become addicted to gambling, the reason for the huge debts beginning to stack up. One also wouldn’t be surprised if Porter’s motivation also stemmed from a lack of cash. His NBA salary was over $400,000 per year, which sounds like a lot in theory. However, compare it to most of his teammates that are making millions or tens of millions of dollars, and it pales in comparison. This is the same league in which on road trips, guys will take duffel bags full of cash instead of their wallets. Additionally, given Porter’s addiction, he likely struggled even more financially.
Integrity of the Game
One thing that this definitely helps with is the professional athlete’s perception of being able to get away with any wrongdoing. Because people treat pro sports players (in particular NBA and NFL players) as larger-than-life figures, it sometimes seems like they are above the law. The Porter case reminds people and players alike that this isn’t the case, and that athletes have to face the consequences of their actions.
In addition to the games that Porter purposefully threw so that his lines would hit, the NBA also found that he wagered on other NBA games. Including betting against his own team once. This is a huge no-no. If the NBA had done nothing about it, it would’ve looked terrible for the league. Ultimately, Porter’s case sets a clear precedent that gambling is not okay in the NBA.
