[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION HAS BANNED PLAYER -JONTAY PORTER- FOR LIFE – AFTER AN INVESTIGATION BY THE LEAGUE REVEALED – PORTER THREW GAMES AND BET ON HIS OWN SPORT.

ACCORDING TO A NEWS RELEASE FROM THE NBA — 

THE LEAGUE’S INVESTIGATION FOUND – THE 24-YEAR-OLD TORONTO RAPTORS FORWARD “DISCLOSED CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION ABOUT HIS OWN HEALTH STATUS TO AN INDIVIDUAL HE KNEW TO BE AN NBA BETTOR” PRIOR TO THE RAPTORS’ MARCH 20TH GAME.

THEN – ANOTHER PERSON WHOM PORTER ASSOCIATED WITH AND A KNOWN NBA BETTOR PLACED AN $80-THOUSAND DOLLAR BET “WAGERING THAT PORTER WOULD UNDERPERFORM” IN THE MARCH 20TH GAME. A BET WORTH $1.1 MILLION. 

THE NBA SAYS – PORTER LIMITED HIS OWN PARTICIPATION IN THE GAME TO INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME OF ONE OR MORE BETS.

PORTER LEFT THE GAME AFTER PLAYING FOR ONLY THREE MINUTES – CLAIMING HE WAS ILL. 

THE NBA’S PRESS RELEASE ALSO CLAIMS PORTER PLACED AT LEAST 13 BETS ON NBA GAMES BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH OF THIS YEAR USING A FRIEND’S ONLINE BETTING ACCOUNT – IN WHICH HE PROFITED TWENTY-TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS

ONE OF THE BETS INVOLVED A RAPTORS GAME – IN WHICH PORTER BET HIS OWN TEAM WOULD LOSE.

ACCORDING TO THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NBA AND THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION — NBA PLAYERS ARE FORBIDDEN FROM PLACING BETS ON NBA GAMES. PUNISHMENT “MAY INCLUDE A FINE, SUSPENSION, EXPULSION, AND/OR PERPETUAL DISQUALIFICATION FROM FURTHER ASSOCIATION WITH THE ASSOCIATION OR ANY OF ITS MEMBERS.”

NBA COMMISSIONER ADAM SILVER SAID IN A STATEMENT: “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.”

THE NBA SAYS THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO PORTER REMAINS OPEN.

AT THIS TIME – HE’S NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REINSTATEMENT.