NBA bans Porter for ‘cardinal sin’

NEW YORK (AFP) — The National Basketball Association banned Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter for life on Wednesday after a bombshell probe found he bet on league matches — dubbed a “cardinal sin” by National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver.

The league said that Porter, who spent part of his season in the NBA and part of it in the developmental G League, also shared private information on his fitness with a sports bettor and removed himself from a game to influence wagers on his own play.

“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment,” Silver said in a statement announcing the ban.

The league said its investigation remains open and it is sharing information with federal prosecutors regarding the matter.

The league launched an investigation into Porter, younger brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr., in March following reports of suspicious betting patterns in games he was involved in.

The 24-year-old has not played since 22 March, shortly before an ESPN report gave details of alleged irregularities in games in which he played.

The league said it found that prior to the Raptors’ 20 March game, Porter disclosed confidential information about his own health status “to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor.”

The league continued: “Another individual with whom Porter associated and knew to be an NBA bettor subsequently placed an $80,000 parlay proposition bet with an online sports book, to win $1.1 million, wagering that Porter would underperform in the March 20 game.”

In that same game, Porter played just three minutes before saying that he felt ill.

“Due to the unusual betting activity and actions of the player, the $80,000 proposition bet was frozen and was not paid out.”