Last year, former Raptors player Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA for violating the league’s gambling rules and recent court documents reveal he sent texts to his co-conspirators during NBA games he was participating in.
The disgraced player worked with a number of men and purposefully hit the unders on many of his own bets to make money through betting agents in an attempt to clear his own gambling debt.
One of those men, was arrested Sunday morning trying to travel to Colombia on a one-way ticket with multiple cell phones and just under $10,000 in cash.
Four other men have been charged as part of the scheme, two have pleaded guilty.
Porter is not named in the complaint against Hennen, but the details laid out in the document match his case.
In the documents, Porter texted the men midway through Toronto’s 108-100 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 22, 2024, that he didn’t expect to play in the second half because of an eye injury.
“I went back to locker room to get eye checked on,” the text read.
“Idk if imma play much more”
“I’m not starting second half
“But if it’s garbage time I will shoot a million shots.”
Porter then got more detailed four days later for Toronto’s matchup against LAC.
“Hit unders for the big numbers,” Porter said (via The Athletic). “I told [Co-Conspirator 2] no blocks no steals. I’m going to play first 2-3 minute stint off the bench then when I get subbed out tell them my eye killing me again.”
Both the January 26 Raptors loss to the Clippers and a 123-89 loss to the Sacramento Kings were flagged for suspicious betting patterns.
“A sportsbook industry source told ESPN that multiple betting accounts attempted to bet large amounts, upward of $10,000 and $20,000, on Porter unders in the January game against the Clippers,” ESPN reported at the time. “Betting limits on NBA player props vary by sportsbook and customer but are typically around $1,000 to $2,000.”
Porter pleaded guilty to wire fraud in July, and the NBA banned him from the league last April. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May.
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