NBA Player Accused Of Gambling On Games Could Face Lifetime Ban
You can bet your bottom dollar that the NBA will punish Toronto Raptors guard Jontay Porter, severely.
Porter faces allegations of betting on games and hitting some unusual self-props.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who slaps players on the wrist for reprehensible behavior, said Porter committed the "cardinal sin" of the NBA and hinted at banning Porter from the league for life. According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, Silver sounded like he could make Porter the first player to receive an indefinite ban from basketball.
"I have an enormous range of discipline available to me," Silver said on Wednesday, speaking on the allegations against Porter.
NEW YORK - NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addresses the media during a press conference after the Board of Governors Meeting on April 10 at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
As previously reported by OutKick betting expert Geoff Clark, "The NBA is looking into Porter’s unusual activity, betting and otherwise, in a January 26 game against the Los Angeles Clippers and a March 20 game against the Sacramento Kings. Porter left both games early with injuries."
Toronto Raptors big Jontay Porter reacts after a play against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. (Getty Images)
Based on Porter's alleged betting, Clark predicted a potential lifetime ban in play for Porter.
And it sounds like Silver agrees.
"But it's a cardinal sin, what he's accused of in the NBA, and the ultimate, extreme option I have is to ban him from the game," the commissioner added.
"That's the level of authority I have here. Because there's nothing more serious, I think, around this league when it comes to gambling: betting on our games. And that is a direct player involvement. And so, the investigation is ongoing, but the consequences could be very severe."
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The commissioner has been lukewarm at best when it comes to discipline. Silver's been accused of ruining the game by being too player-friendly.
When it comes to maintaining the league's "integrity," the league will be willing to make an example out of Porter to avoid taking a major P.R. hit, similar to the case involving ex-referee Tim Donaghy, who was caught betting on NBA games.
"And by ‘come down hard,’ I mean a lifetime ban. If people can legitimately question the results of these games, the NBA, or any league for that matter, ceases to exist," Clark wrote.
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