Banned NBA Player Jontay Porter Would Reportedly Text Bettors Mid-Game About Faking Injuries

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New details about now-banned NBA player Jontay Porter and his alleged betting habits have been revealed, and they are something, to put it incredibly mildly.

In early 2024, an investigation unveiled Porter's scheme of purchasing player props to underperform to cash on his ‘under’ bets. It was also discovered that he bet against his own team, the Toronto Raptors, during his tenure with the club from 2023 to 2024.

Porter's betting strategy included exiting games early due to a ‘medical reason’ to hit on his own player prop bets. It was later reported that Porter participated in the gambling scheme to clear gambling debts.

In April 2024, Porter became the first-ever player in the NBA to receive a lifetime ban for gambling.

A report out of The Athletic on Monday shed light on new details of Porter's scheme.

Banned NBA Player Jontay Porter Would Text Bettors Mid-Game About Faking Injury

Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA, for life, last year amid his gambling scheme. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

A man identified as Shane Hennen was arrested for his role in the gambling operation. Court documents showed that Hennen "received information from another of Porter’s alleged co-conspirators that the then-Raptors center was planning to manipulate his on-court minutes to help bettors win their prop bets."

The passing along of information likely occurred before the tip-off of games, but on at least one occasion, Porter reportedly fired off a text message about his status during a game.

"Porter texted one man during a Jan. 22 Raptors game that he had been taken into the locker room to have his eye examined and that he didn’t anticipate playing more that day and that he wouldn’t start the second half — he had started the game for the Raptors," the report stated. "But if it’s garbage time I will shoot a million shots," he followed up. A screenshot of those messages were sent to Hennen the next day, prosecutors said in the complaint."

Porter, 24, sought to play professional basketball in Greece after being banned from the NBA, but a judge blocked his request amid the betting scandal.

In June, Porter pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy crime related to his illegal gambling activity and awaits his sentencing in May.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.