Porter investigation another letdown in tumultuous Raptors season
At least Barrett and Quickley are back
One of the first places my mind went to when hearing of the Jontay Porter betting investigation was to April 2000 when one of the most traumatic sporting controversies I’ve experienced as a fan transpired.
Cricket had a shocking match fixing scandal that rocked the sport to its core as the main players accused were former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin and former South African captain Hansie Cronje. India and South Africa are two of the heavy hitters in the sport and these were two of the highest profile names in the game that had now been banned for life for their involvement in offering team information, underperforming, and trying to influence teammates to get involved as well.
I chose to start here because I wanted to remember the feeling of being cheated as a young fan. We joke about the “disappointed dad” look but, for a kid, this was heartbreak. I used to imitate Azharuddin’s batting stance, thought bats with a Reebok logo looked cooler because he used them, and looked up to him a great deal because he was the captain of my country at the time. Being that young, I couldn’t even properly process what was happening because I had no real grasp of the gambling world. It was a mix of confusion, anger, shock, and the emptiest feeling of being manipulated and lied to. All I knew was that he was a cheat and actively harming my team.
When thinking of my feelings as an adult seeing the Porter news, my mind goes to 2010 when West Indian cricket legend turned commentator Michael Holding provided immediate reaction to then Pakistani 18-year-old prodigy Mohammad Amir doing something extremely suspicious against England that was later confirmed to be spot fixing (prop betting) and nearly coming to tears.
In soccer, Brentford striker Ivan Toney was most recently found guilty of breaching the English Football Association’s betting rules on 232 occasions that included 29 bets involving his team and 13 in which he bet backed his club to lose! He was banned for eight months and fined 50,000 pounds. If you think that’s light, it’s because he had it reduced from 15 months owing to being ruled to having a gambling addiction, his admission of guilt, and young age of 27.
Newcastle United and England footballer Kieran Trippier was banned 10 weeks in January 2021 for telling a friend to bet heavy on him getting transferred from Tottenham to Atletico Madrid.
What Porter has been accused of — and the key words here remain accused and not guilty until further notice — is sad and disappointing. In a season that has spiraled with not much to cheer for beyond Scottie Barnes’ success and the acquisitions of Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, Porter was one of the feel-good stories of the team if not the league.
Here’s a summary of Porter’s winding road to what was a promising season:
Returned to Missouri for sophomore season instead of opting for 2018 NBA Draft (despite initially entering) where he was projected as a first-round pick.
Tears ACL and MCL in right knee before start of 2018-19 college season.
Re-tears ACL trying to prove health a couple months before 2019 NBA Draft.
Enters 2019 NBA Draft anyway, goes undrafted.
Signs with Memphis Grizzlies on March 8, 2020. NBA shuts down three days later due to COVID-19.
Re-signs multi-year deal with Grizzlies beginning in 2020-21, gets waived at end of season.
Doesn’t play in G League or NBA during 2021-22 season.
Signs Exhibit-10 contract with Milwaukee Bucks to play for its G League affiliate Wisconsin Herd in 2022-23. Plays 17 games averaging 11.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.8 blocks while shooting 28.7% from three.
After initially signing with Detroit Pistons in 2023 off-season, joins Raptors on two-way contract. Averages 13.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.6 blocks while shooting 29.8% from three in seven games for Raptors 905. Called up to parent club.
With the circumstances that have presented itself, it’s hard not to be suspicious of abnormally extravagant betting amounts on a fringe NBA player to hit his unders on prop bets in two games and see that player exit both games early with injuries that aren’t apparent to viewers. I’m not going to connect dots about what’s been revealed about his crypto and stock trading tendencies and actually going and possibly playing a part in betting against himself, but if any financial advisor were to see his investing history, they would consider Porter to be someone who is far from risk averse when it comes to his money.
I went back and watched both games. Against the Clippers on Jan. 26 (this was a bit of a trip because Barnes and Schroder playing together in a game feels like forever ago), Porter looked pretty much like his usual self, actively seeking out rebounds and setting screens. He even went for a board at the end of the first quarter that he could’ve easily left alone with the buzzer about to sound. He didn’t attempt a shot, though.
At the end of the first quarter, he had three rebounds to go along with an assist and didn’t return. His props for this game were 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.5 three-pointers made. Was he too afraid of accidentally walking into an assist or a couple rebounds? There definitely wasn’t a player that came close to making contact with his eye and that raises an eye brow as far as departing the game due to what was described as aggravation of an eye injury in the previous game against Memphis four days earlier.
As was reported by ESPN, the next day, as part of a daily report to users on betting results, DraftKings Sportsbook stated that the under on Porter's three-pointers was the biggest money winner for bettors of any NBA player props from games that evening.
As a quick aside, in an attempt to sprinkle in some positivity, I loved this teaching moment between Gradey Dick and Darko Rajakovic after fouling on a patented James Harden step back three-pointer.
Then we jump almost two months later to March 20th against the Sacramento Kings where he exited after three minutes citing an illness. Porter had played at least 21 minutes in each of the four previous games and played 21 minutes in the game after this one as well. His props were set at 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds and he finished with zero points on one shot attempt and two rebounds.
We have to wait and see what comes of the investigation, but I’ll be surprised if this ends well for Porter.
Let’s zoom out for a moment now. The NBA can’t do what it’s always done in terms of just singling someone out and never taking any of the blame. Tim Donaghy? Rogue referee. Players resting? Adam Silver comes out and says there’s no scientific evidence to suggest more rest opportunities helps prevent injuries. Sure, Adam. Regardless of what comes of the Porter investigation, the league needs to acknowledge the risk it has taken by attaching itself so close to gambling.
Players like Porter, those who are second-round picks or on 10-day contracts, two-way contracts and the like are the ones who are going to be the most susceptible to getting tempted by bookies due to their relative financial insecurity. The same way the league has taken measures to better prepare rookies for general NBA life with different programs to educate them, there must be something in place to aid players in avoiding the perils of getting involved in this type of thing. As an example, there absolutely has to be a hotline for players to call into the league if they are approached by a bookie.
While cricket is still susceptible to betting issues, the governing council known as the International Cricket Council (ICC) created an anti-corruption unit of its own in light of the match-fixing scandal and also required that each team have its own anti-corruption unit.
As described earlier, soccer has had its issues but the punishments don’t seem too excessive when considering cricketers were banned for life. It will be interesting to see, if there is a punishment to be handed out, which route the NBA takes.
7 DAYS
RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley are set to return for the Raptors, a true sight for sore eyes. The Raptors’ losing streak now stands at 13 after Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia, the second-longest in franchise history. With the Lakers, Wolves, and Bucks up next, the longest losing streak in franchise history (17) is now under threat.
Kobi Simmons hasn’t looked out of place and shown good feel during his minutes so far.
March 30th was the 17-year anniversary of one of the craziest buzzer beaters in Raptors history, when Morris Peterson heaved in a three-pointer to tie the game after Washington’s Michael Ruffin looked to secure the win by heaving the ball in the air, only for it to land in the hands of Peterson with just enough time still on the clock.
I remember watching this game at my parent’s house like it was yesterday and it remains one of the most unlikely plays I’ve ever seen. Mo Pete was such a fun Raptor and the king of circus shots.
Underrated sliding doors moment as a result of this shot: The Wizards and Nets finished tied at 41-41 that season with New Jersey taking the sixth seed via the tie breaker. If Peterson didn’t hit the shot, Washington would have claimed the sixth seed and had to play the third-seeded, 47-35 Raptors having lost both Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler to injury. Ultimately, Toronto lost to a New Jersey team led by Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Richard Jefferson in six games.
Jose Calderon’s lob to Chris Bosh getting intercepted by Richard Jefferson at the end of Game 6 is one of those painful Raptors playoff moments that actually doesn’t get talked about much.
Do you have memories of this game or the playoff series? Feel free to share!
That’s it from me but my next post will follow quickly as a result of the long-weekend induced delay with this one.