NBA Investigates Raptors’ Jontay Porter Over Suspected Illegal Wagering Activities

The NBA has focused on Jontay Porter, the forward of the Toronto Raptors, and brought him under the scanner for alleged illegal activities related to wagering. 

As per ESPN, various angles are being looked into, one of them being Porter bringing his game into the picture.  

The game played out on the 26th of January, with the LA Clippers being the opposing team, witnessed the amount of prop wagering on 3 pointers made by Porter to be the largest haul for any NBA player. This was at DraftKings—the above and below of 3 pointers of Porter regarding the games 0.5. An apparent eye injury prevented him from playing a compelling game. 

Porter indulged in a nineteen-minute game two days hence and managed twelve score points. There were seven rebounds and three assists. 

Towards the beginning of the month, another doubtful scenario played out when Porter failed to score with two rebounds in three minutes against the Sacramento Kings. This was the observation made by the NBA, wherein Porter called it a day for being indisposed. The points and rebounds were also less than the prop wagers above and below for the game. The prop wagers also amassed the maximum amount, as per DraftsKings.  

ESPN divulged that this was not an observation made by DraftKings alone, but there were others. Through other sources, it came to light that various wagering accounts wagered big money on Porter during the Clippers’ play in January, amounting to more than $10,000 to $20,000. 

North American sports leagues discourage players, coaches, and connected officials from wagering on the league’s games, with penalties of various kinds being levied on the offenders. 

Incidentally, the two previous games did not have the presence of Porter. 

From the viewpoint of sports leagues, prop wagering takes away the focus from the irregularities of the smaller wagers, an issue that needs to be resolved. These are often looked into by outside experts. 

The Porter news comes after the incident of LA Dodgers Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara’s ouster, having siphoned off large amounts of money from the player for unlawful gambling in California.

MLB has initiated an investigation into the highest-earner athlete in North America. However, Ohtani has refuted all the allegations made against him.