Is Jontay Porter related to Michael Porter Jr.? Closer look at 2 NBA players as Raptor's forward faces NBA probe for betting issues
Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors has recently faced scrutiny due to his involvement in a betting incident. Some basketball fans have questioned whether he is related to Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.
According to his Wikipedia file, Jontay Porter is the younger brother of Michael Porter Jr., born on November 15, 1999. He is currently signed with the Toronto Raptors on a two-way contract, allowing him to play for the Raptors 905 in the NBA G League.
Jontay gained attention in his high school years playing for Nathan Hale High School in Seattle. He got to play with his brother and was coached by former Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy, resulting in a state championship.
He originally intended to join the Class of 2018 for college but reclassified to 2017 to play with Michael at the University of Missouri. Jontay joined his brother in the frontcourt playing the power forward position.
However, his college career has been also marred by injuries, both ACL and MCL tears, that affected his sophomore season. Despite going undrafted, Jontay Porter signed with the Memphis Grizzlies before moving to different teams in the G League including the Wisconsin Herd and Motor City Cruise.
What happened to Jontay Porter?
Jontay Porter is currently under investigation by the NBA for suspected betting irregularities, as reported by ESPN. The investigation is said to have focused on prop bets that have been associated with Jontay's performances on two separate dates in January and March.
On both occasions, Porter's performances sparked interest as it is linked to betting activities, particularly in prob bets on his points, rebounds, assists and three-pointers made.
NBA regulations have been standing firm to prohibit players and league personnel from engaging in any form of betting on league activities. Violating this policy could result in severe penalties from fines, suspensions, or even contract termination.
In the 2023-24 season, Jontay Porter has appeared in 26 games and was a starter five times for the Toronto Raptors as of this writing. He has been averaging 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He also shot 38.5% from the field and a decent 33% beyond the three-point line.