It’s already been two months since Jontay Porter was first suspended by the NBA for being involved in a sports betting scandal, and recently his lawyer spoke about his troubles. According to the attorney, the former Raptors player was “in over his head” with a gambling addiction and is now seeking help.
The statements were provided by The Associated Press, as they assure that Jeff Jensen, who is the government investigations lawyer in St. Louis involved in this case, has been cooperating with the investigations.
“Jontay is a good young man with strong faith that will get him through this. He was in over his head due to a gambling addiction. He is undergoing treatment and has been fully cooperative with law enforcement,” the attorney shared.
Lawyer: Jontay Porter was ‘in over his head’ with gambling addiction https://t.co/XKpPQsVOl3
— America First Newsroom™ (@AmFrstNewsRoom) June 10, 2024
This has been the first time anyone from Porter’s side has talked about the subject with the media, after the athlete disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and even wagered on matches, including a bet that his own team in Toronto would lose.
Already four men have been arrested in this scandal, as the last was a 32-year-old called Ammar Awawdeh, who turned himself in following the arrests of the first three co-defendants last week.
Not even his own brother Michael Porter Jr. had any idea of Jontay’s addictions, as he expressed some time ago that he guaranteed his younger sibling was innocent. “Jontay loves the game of basketball. 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,” he said about the former two-way Raptors player.
Nevertheless, the Nuggets star did acknowledge that NBA athletes are very much aware on how their performances affect gamblers and these situations are only increasing in the league. “Yeah, especially the last few years you hear people in the crowd saying what they need you to score tonight or what they don’t want you to score.
NBA Commissioner Explains Reasons Behind Jontay Porter’s Life Ban For Gambling Violations
In an unprecedented act, the NBA decided in April to ban Toronto’s Jontay Porter for life after the investigation revealed that he had shared disclosed and confidential information to gamblers, then restricted his own performance in at least one match, and then bet on NBA games while competing in the G League.
Both their U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI have collaborated and shared information about the investigation that still remains open, according to the NBA’s latest statement on the matter.
“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 game rules are being met with the most severe punishment,” expressed NBA commissioner Adam Silver when announcing the punishment.
The league explained how it was first alerted of the player’s suspicious activity by licensed sportsbooks, as well as organizations that monitor these markets and bettors. U.S. Integrity, which is a Las Vegas firm that works alongside bookers, the leagues and state gaming regulators have been following Porter’s footsteps and said that they are “proud to continue to support the NBA in initiatives relating to regulated sports betting.”
