NBA Player Banned for Betting on Himself
Jaime Halstuch
Stillman News Writer
Imagine if the NBA became like the WWE, scripted. That all the stories from way back with Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russel’s Celtics, Kareem’s unstoppable shots, Magic v Bird, Michael Jordan, Kobe and Shaq, Lebron, 2016 Warriors, and all of those great stories were a lie, it was just all scripted, acted, planned. Well, in April 2024, the basketball world was informed that a player did it; he played according to a script, his own script. Jontay Porter, a Toronto Raptors now former two-way player, was betting against himself and telling others associated with him to do so.
Porter’s annual salary used to be $411,794 and he was placing bets as low as $15. This is not wanting to make more money as he only made a total of $21,965 in net winnings. This was the sole purpose of satisfying an evil need for gambling and winning. From January to March of 2024, Porter placed at least 13 bets, but it could have been more. The bets placed were between $15 to $22,000, which added to a total of $54,094, bringing him the previously mentioned $21,965 in net winnings. Porter also limited his game participation to influence the outcome of his bets in at least one NBA game, claiming he felt ill. Porter also disclosed inside information about his health to someone he knew was an NBA bettor. For these actions committed by Jontay Porter, the NBA decided on April 17th, 2024, that Porter would never play again in the National Basketball Association.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said: “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. While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players. Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game.”
Although Porter is not the first NBA member to be caught betting on NBA games, he is the only player who has ever been caught betting not only on himself but against himself. His sheer financial irresponsibility and disregard for his career are hard to understand. The NBA is giving an example and setting a precedent by banning Porter for life from the National Basketball Association. FIBA should follow and not let him play a single minute more of professional basketball. The step taken by the NBA is a brave one, and I believe all sports leagues around the world should follow this policy.
What would you do with an annual salary of $411,794? Well, Jontay Porter decided to ruin his career and ruin the integrity of the NBA and G League games he played in. As Diego Maradona said once “The ball does not get stained,” and Jontay Porter stained it.
Contact Jaime at jaime.halstuch@student.shu.edu