The NBA has launched an investigation into Toronto Raptors guard Jontay Porter for betting fraud. According to ESPN, the player is suspected of participating in two matches during the season that were alerted by the bookmakers themselves as unusual activities.
Porter, who has a temporary contract with the Raptors, is the brother of Michael Porter Jr, an NBA champion last season with the Denver Nuggets.
The two games investigated by the NBA are:
Toronto Raptors x Los Angeles Clippers, on January 26: the bet that won the most money in the round was the three-pointer launched by Porter. The player did not shoot three-pointers in the match and had numbers below his statistics in points and rebounds. After four minutes, he left the game complaining of an eye injury.
Toronto Raptors x Sacramento Kings, on March 20: Again, the most profitable bets of the round were related to Porter. In the game, he only shot once and grabbed two rebounds, until he asked for a substitution due to illness.
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As a result, Porter was left out of the Toronto Raptors’ last two games due to personal problems. The team’s coach, Darko Rajakovic, tried to defend the player.
“I never doubt my players’ injuries. I just know that nobody wants to have that kind of situation in their team. We will have to deal with it,” said Rajakovic.
Porter’s teammate on the Raptors and vice president of the NBA players’ union, winger Garret Temple expressed surprise at the news.
“I was surprised. In my position, I have to support him. I hope it’s not what it seems,” Temple said.
It is worth remembering that NBA players are prohibited from betting on any league event. The franchises themselves have employees dedicated to supervising the athletes.
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