Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. said Wednesday night that he is confident his brother Jontay would never do anything to jeopardize his budding NBA career.
Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter is under investigation by the NBA following multiple gambling fraud incidents over the past few months, sources told ESPN earlier this week. Officials say the issue at issue is a prop bet involving Porter on games on January 26th and March 20th. An NBA spokesperson told ESPN the league is “under consideration.”
After the Nuggets lost at home to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night, Michael Porter Jr. took to the stage and was asked about the investigation involving his brother.
Michael Porter Jr. said he didn't know more details beyond what the media reported, but said “Jontay loves the game of basketball” and is excited to play in Toronto on Wednesday. He vouched for his 24-year-old brother, who is one year younger than him. He is on a two-way contract this season.
“I've known my brother my whole life. I know the type of person he is, I know he's excited about playing basketball, and I know he would put that at risk. I highly doubt he will,” Michael Porter Jr. said.
Jontay Porter has not spoken publicly about the situation and has missed the Raptors' past few games, with the team citing personal reasons.
The young Porter is averaging 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 26 games, including five starts. The 6-foot-10 Porter also played in 11 games for Memphis in 2020-21.
NBA players, like all employees of the league, are prohibited from betting on NBA events, including prop bets. Violations of the policy can include fines, suspension, and termination.
Michael Porter Jr. said he and others regularly hear how on-court performance impacts bettors.
“Yeah, especially over the last few years, I've started to hear people in the crowd saying, what do I want them to score tonight, what do I want them to not score tonight,” he said. . “Every night you're letting somebody down. If you score too much because you might have bet on the under, you're letting people down, and if you don't score enough, you're letting people down. become.
“So it's part of the game now. I think it's obviously a dangerous habit. It's a dangerous vice for people,” he added. “You know, the love of money is the root of all evil. So I think that even though it's a problem, we as players need to accept that. We're going to play this game.” I'm getting paid a lot of money for this, and I know it.'' These people, these fans, want to make money.
“This is definitely something that has taken the sports world by storm. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
