Did Bruce Brown offer $10k to Jontay Porter? Looking at Raptors teammates' jersey saga
With all the news about Jontay Porter on his betting allegations, basketball fans are suddenly digging deep into the past of the former Missouri Tiger. One of the videos that resurfaced was from the time when Bruce Brown paid Porter for the number 11 jersey once he got traded to the Toronto Raptors.
Brown confirmed that he was the one who offered to pay Porter for the jersey number.
“Honestly, I thought he was going to ask for more,” Brown told the media how he bought the jersey number from Porter. “I gave him 10. He said, 'Yes,' and I said, 'Cool.'”
Jontay Porter is currently under investigation by the NBA for his alleged involvement in betting irregularities during the Jan. 26 and Mar. 20 games. DraftKings Sportsbook, the official betting partner of the NBA, reported unusual betting activity on Porter's prop bets.
Currently on a two-way contract earning $415,000, Porter has missed recent games for personal reasons. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovi was informed that the league has been investigating Porter's case and expressed concern about the situation.
The NBA has prohibited their players from betting on league events and has imposed harsh penalties from fines to suspensions and even termination.
Bruce Brown expresses concern for Jontay Porter
As the league investigates Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter on betting allegations, there has been an air of concern from his teammates. One of them is Bruce Brown, whom Porter had exchanged numbers with once.
Brown didn't say much to the media regarding Porter's situation and preferred not to divulge details.
"I'm just praying for him," said Brown. "Obviously, you don't want to see somebody in a situation like that. But other than that, I don't know what is going on. I don't want to comment on it too much."
The 24-year-old Porter has played 26 games for the Toronto Raptors in the 2023-24 season and averaged 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds. He's shooting 38.5% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc.
His highest scoring output was on Mar. 11 against the Denver Nuggets and his brother, Michael Porter Jr., where he booked 14 points, five rebounds, four three-pointers and one steal.