Just before Monday’s game, ESPN announced that Jontay Porter is the focus of an NBA investigation regarding anomalies on prop betting involving him.
TORONTO: The investigation into Jontay Porter, the backup center for the Toronto Raptors, for gambling took a further negative turn for the team.
Darko Rajakovic, the head coach of the Raptors, announced late on Monday that Porter is the focus of an NBA probe concerning anomalies in prop betting involving him. When Rajakovic heard about the probe prior to Toronto’s 96-88 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, he said it “caught him off guard.”
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Rajakovic remarked, “I don’t know the players’ reaction because I didn’t speak with them.” “We’re just going to deal with it because I just know that nobody wants that kind of situation to happen to anybody, to any team.”
About an hour before the Toronto tipoff, ESPN broke the story of the inquiry. The investigation reportedly looked into Porter’s actions during games on January 26 and March 20, according to the American sports broadcaster. Porter appeared in just four minutes and twenty-four seconds of action against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first game, and in two minutes and forty-three seconds against Sacramento in the second, before departing the game due to an injury or sickness.
As a coach, Rajakovic stated, “I never doubt injuries, and I never doubt players’ honesty.” “Obviously, I’ve never encountered anything similar before, so I didn’t think Porter’s health issues were suspicious.”
Porter fell well short of the prop-wager lines for points, rebounds, and three-pointers that were available to gamblers in both situations. Porter finished with no points, three rebounds, and one assist against the Clippers, despite the props surrounding him, according to ESPN, being 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. Porter concluded the Kings game with two rebounds and no points, while they were roughly 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.
Vice-president of the NBA Players’ Association and veteran forward Garrett Temple, a team representative for the Raptors in the union, expressed surprise at the announcement.
“In the end, there is still no proof,” Temple remarked. He is a part of our team, our organization, and the 450 (union members) and there is an investigation going on. My stance is that we support him and we hope that this isn’t the implication.
For “personal reasons,” Porter has been on Toronto’s inactive list since Saturday. Following starter center Jakob Poeltl’s surgery on March 6 to repair a torn ligament in his left hand, Rajakovic had handed Porter a more significant role in the Raptors’ rotation.
Prior to Monday’s game at Scotiabank Arena, Porter’s locker had a nameplate above it, but the stall was vacant. Only a handful of his teammates were present in Toronto’s locker room before to the game, and one of them declined to comment on the circumstances.
The news actually broke just before the game, and Rajakovic claimed that everyone’s attention was on the basketball game that night. “I was attempting to prepare for the game tonight by organizing myself.”
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The only province in Canada where it is permitted for bettors to wager on sports online is Ontario. The NBA, however, has tight guidelines on gaming.
It is forbidden to wager on the NBA or any of its properties for anybody connected to the league, including players and staff from any of the 30 teams or the league as a whole. This covers the NBA, NBA2K League, Summer League, WNBA, G-League, and Basketball Africa League. Betting on other sports is acceptable if sports betting is allowed where that individual is.
Regarding the NBA and NBAPA’s anti-gambling education program, Temple stated, “We’ve had meetings about it every year, at least once a year, if not twice a year, during the season.” “Everyone is there, including the guys; attendance is required. Guys, now that you are aware of the risks involved, you know what to do and what not to do, and so on. It has consistently been at the forefront of our learning.
Jordan Nwora, who is currently in his first season in Toronto and his second in the NBA, stated he was unable to comment on Porter’s predicament because he had only recently became aware of it through social media. He did point out, though, that fans are always informing him and the other players about how their play is affecting their wagers.
“Every time. constant,” Nwora remarked. “Messages are sent to you. It is audible from the sidelines. Guys are always discussing it, as you can see. That’s just the way things are. It’s a perk of playing in the NBA. On a daily basis, people wager on ridiculous things. That’s just part of the deal, you know, being an NBA player. I understand.
This season, over 13.8 minutes per game, the 24-year-old Porter is averaging 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. He is with the Raptors 905 of the G League on a two-way deal. Porter participated in 11 Memphis games during the 2020–21 campaign.
