The NBA Playoffs are only a few weeks away, but the league has yet to decide on what it’s going to do about a hot button topic.
On March 25, Jontay Porter — a fringe NBA player on the Toronto Raptors — was put under investigation after some strange sports betting behavior revolving around him. That included one night where the under on Porter’s three-pointers made was the biggest money winner for any NBA player prop, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Sports betting has grown exponentially around the country since 2018 when the Supreme Court changed a rule that banned it in majority of US states. But the growth of sports betting has come with challenges — including policing the very people who these bets are placed on.
There have already been some players in the NFL who have received significant penalties due to sports betting — but the NBA has yet to face anything similar in this era until this Porter case.
Players prohibited from betting on NBA games
The NBA’s rules prohibit anyone — player or staffer — to bet on the NBA and even on other NBA affiliated properties like the WNBA and G-League. But the exact punishment that someone who is caught will receive is unclear.
The most high-profile gambling case that the NBA faced happened in the mid-2000s when it was found that referee Tim Donaghy was betting on games — including those he officiated — and has been ousted by the NBA ever since. He also received jail time.
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So what will happen to Porter? Well, according to former MLB general manager David Samson and ESPN President John Skipper, it’s unlikely he plays another game in the NBA.
“I assume his playing career will be very short after this,” Skipper said on an episode of “The Dan Le Batard Show” last week.
Samson was a lot more stern with his assessment.
“[The NBA] needs to suspend him for life,” Samson said.
Beyond the length of Porter’s suspension, Samson also said that he believes the NBA needs to use him as an example for the rest of the league. He points out that Porter isn’t a big fish, and that makes him the “perfect person” to make an example out of in order to keep other players and staffers in check.
“I want an investigation right now because the systems we’ve put in place, I want the fans to know that these systems are working, that when you see irregularities, you’re contacting us, we’re then investigating and we’re acting on that investigation, ” Samson said speaking from the perspective of the league.”
Skipper also said that it shouldn’t be that “difficult” for the leagues to figure out whether Porter was culpable.
“If there was big money on him before he touched the court — why would there be big money on Jontay Porter?” Skipper said. “The only reason is if somebody knows something. It will be the responsibility of the league to investigate that.”
Suspicious exits from games
The 24-year-old Porter has played just 37 games over his two-year career. Prior to the investigation, Porter had started a few games for the Raptors who have dealt with injuries toward the end of the season. However, during the games in question, Porter reportedly would leave in the middle of the game due to injuries or illness.
It’s unclear when the NBA will make a decision on Porter, but if Porter is found to be culpable, his punishment will be a clear barometer for how the league will police sports betting in the future.
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