NEW YORK – Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter is at risk of being expelled from the league depending on the outcome of the NBA's investigation into a bet involving Porter, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday after the league's annual board meeting. He said this at a press conference.
“What he's being accused of in the NBA is a mortal sin,” Silver said.
Porter has been away from the Raptors since last month after the league learned there were questionable bets on Porter's individual performance in two different games (both were under prop bets). According to DraftKings Sportsbook Insights, published daily and distributed to members of the media, these bets were the most profitable bets on NBA games on DraftKings game night.
A DraftKings spokesperson could not confirm its accuracy.
I also saw FanDuel Industry sources familiar with the betting have confirmed that Porter acted abnormally during the betting over the past two nights. The Athletic. The company reported the incident to US Integrity, a company that monitors sports betting for suspicious activity.
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Silver said the investigation into Porter is ongoing. But he has great discretion when it comes to punishing Porter.
“The ultimate, extreme option I have is to kick him out of the game,” Silver said. “This is the level of authority I have here, because when it comes to gambling on games in this league, there is nothing more serious than the direct involvement of players. The investigation is ongoing, but there could be serious consequences. there is.”
NBA players cannot bet on the NBA, according to a copy of the player action memo reviewed by NBA.com. The Athleticmanipulating or influencing the game (also known as match-fixing), or failing to perform to the best of your ability for any reason related to betting.
Porter's arrival makes the NBA the latest North American professional sports league to be embroiled in a gambling controversy. Still, Silver said he continues to support legalizing sports betting.
Silver said he would prefer Congress to step in and create national legislation rather than piecemeal resolutions with each state. Other sports leaders are also calling for some changes. NCAA President Charlie Baker wants to ban prop gambling in college sports.
“Regulation has a good role to play in determining the amount of marketing and frankly the types of bets that can be placed on the game,” Silver said. “In terms of legalized sports betting, I'm not against it. I think the alternative is illegal sports betting, and I think there's at least transparency in a legalized structure.
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“Really, those are our two options. We can't turn back the clock, especially since sports betting has become so popular on the internet. The fact that so much of it has been going on since before it was legalized. Everyone knew.”
Betting led to changes in behavior in the arena. Silver said he has heard more cases of fans yelling at players for missing over/under bets and coaches yelling at players about how many minutes they gave them. Players spoke out about the abuse they were receiving. Sports betting advertising is rampant at stadiums and on television broadcasts in states where it is legal.
Silver said some changes may be needed.
“There are lessons to be learned from how other jurisdictions monitor and regulate sports betting,” Silver said. “Again, as unfortunate examples like this occur, we may need to adjust our rules and ensure that gaming companies that are our partners and companies that are not our partners may need to adjust their behavior as well.”
Recent contact changes
Scoring has been declining across the NBA since February, and it's been evident for some time. Silver said Wednesday that the league has recalibrated its playing style and officiating emphasis in response to criticism from fans and coaches. This was a game in Milwaukee on Tuesday night that may have reached its sanctity when the Boston Celtics and Bucks combined for just two free throws, both by Milwaukee. . This was an extreme example of how things have changed in recent months.
“There was a feeling early in the season that it was too much of an advantage for the offensive players,” Silver said. “I think Steve Kerr said, I don’t know what you want to call it, that offensive players are using themselves as projectiles or trying to get fouls. This was a point that should be emphasized on behalf of the
“We've been transparent with the team about that. Again, everyone can see what's going on on the floor and make their own judgment about the calls that are being made. There were a few adjustments made along the way.”
Silver said there have been an average of two fewer foul calls per game per team since mid-February. There was other evidence as well. Before the All-Star Game, the highest scoring team in the NBA was the Indiana Pacers, averaging 123.7 points per game. The median scoring average was 114.9 points and 114.8 points for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards. The Pacers are the highest scoring team since the All-Star Game, averaging 121 points per game. He averages 111.4 points for the team.
The Celtics were the most efficient offensive line before the All-Star Game, scoring 120.8 points per 100 possessions, while the Cavaliers and Utah Jazz were the median teams scoring 116.2 points and 115.8 points per 100 possessions. Boston hasn't been bothered by the new rules since the All-Star break, with an offensive rating of 125.5, but the median offensive rating has dropped to 113.9.
“If you look at what we're hearing from our fans right now, I think they want to see great offense, but they also want their players to play defense. I think that's what they're looking at.” So I'm very happy with the state of the game and I expect the great competition to continue as we move into the playoffs. ”
Timberwolves ownership battle
Silver made his first comments in the NBA regarding the ownership battle with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Alex Rodriguez and Marc Rohr continue to feud with current owner Glen Taylor in his bid to buy the Timberwolves. Mr. Lorre and Mr. Rodriguez agreed to a phased acquisition of the team from Taylor, with the deal calling for 40 percent of the franchise rights to be paid to Taylor by March 27.
Mr. Lorre and Mr. Rodriguez scrambled to complete their equity financing by the deadline, but Mr. Taylor insisted he had the money and was just waiting for NBA approval that the sale could go through. insisted. Because Taylor missed the deadline, his contract was voided and he stated that he no longer intended to sell the team.
Silver and the league refrained from speaking publicly until Wednesday, and he said the NBA would not be involved in what is now a legal dispute. Mr. Lore, Mr. Rodriguez, and Mr. Taylor plan to first attempt to resolve the matter through mediation and, if that is not successful, through arbitration, as provided in the purchase and sale agreement.
“The league has no role in that process,” Silver said.
But this sale, or at least the sale agreement, could very well change the way the league approaches future sales of teams that last multiple years, like the Minnesota sale. Taylor first agreed to sell the franchise in 2021 for $1.5 billion.
“That's an important question,” Silver said. “I think this trade was made early in the pandemic, and I think it was an unusual situation for everyone in our community at the time. As this progresses, I think lessons have also been learned. Let's see how this goes.
“But it's certainly not ideal to do a step-by-step deal like this. It fits our rules from that perspective, and that's what Glen Taylor wanted, and they also said that at the time. “We were happy to agree to this. However, once the issues surrounding this transaction are resolved, we may reconsider what types of transactions should be allowed.”
The NBA is gearing up for another playoff matchup between Stephen Curry and LeBron James, but the very nature of this game suggests how few opponents remain. The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers are currently scheduled to play each other at 9-10 in the West Division, in a play-in tournament game where one team will be eliminated from the postseason. The other one might not even make it to the playoffs yet.
Curry and James have been the league's marquee stars for the past decade, but James has been around even longer. Curry is 36 years old and James is 39 years old. At some point, probably within the next few years, they will each retire.
(Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
While the league's business is closely tied to them, and their teams always get the most attention in nationally televised games and NBA Finals games, Silver said he is concerned about what will become of the league after they are gone. He said he had not. He thinks there will be new stars in the league to replace them.
“Stars are born much earlier these days than they used to be,” Silver says. “So, in some ways, traditional stars deserve to be in those positions, but then again, there's a huge social media community around the world, and in the case of basketball, literally billions of talent. The great thing about sports is that there's a global market. Meritocracy, at the end of the day, in the case of basketball, show what you can do on the floor. I think talent is rewarded. And good luck. When you can also join leagues, when so much basketball is being played on a global scale, both men's and women's teams, where the best teams in the world want to play in a single league. I think so. Just think that stars will continue to emerge.
“They're different, and for people who've been in this sport a long time, you remember when Magic retired, Larry retired, Michael retired, Kobe retired. People were like, 'Oh my God. “It was that kind of feeling. amazing. It's just that new and different stars emerge, each with their own personality and style, and the next generation of fans care about them just as much as the players who came before them. ”
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