"You get banned for that sh*t”: Jeff Teague delivers scathing criticism on Jontay Porter’s alleged illegal betting scandal
Following reports of Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter possibly being involved in betting irregularities surrounding his prop bets, former Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague shared his strong reaction to the matter on the "Club 520 Podcast." As the NBA continues to conduct its investigation, it remains one of the more concerning issues circulating the integrity of the league.
Being a former NBA player, Jeff Teague is well aware of the strict rules and guidelines that every player must follow and be aware of in the league. Additionally, he pointed out that this could end up proving to be an ugly scenario for Jontay Porter.
"This the problem with sports betting," Teague said. "NBA put it in game where you could actually bet. If you're any type of gambler, if you got any type of addiction problem with gambling, you going to be itching at that. ... You get banned for that s***. ... In the NBA you're done. And you can't even go to the other leagues, it's something like that."
In the podcast episode, Teague made an interesting point that this issue stemmed from when the league started to be more open in the utilization of gambling through its promotion with sports channels.
As a result, the NBA is in the middle of an investigation into whether sports betting has penetrated the league itself.
While Jontay Porter continues to await the findings of the NBA's investigation, he has not commented on the matter.
Despite being investigated by the NBA, Michael Porter Jr. defends his brother Jontay Porter
Amid the investigation surrounding Jontay Porter, Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. quickly went into the defense of his brother, as per The Associated Press' Arnie Melendrez Stapleton.
"I've known my brother my whole life," Porter Jr. said. "I know what type of dude he is and I know he's excited to play basketball, and I highly doubt he would do anything to put that in jeopardy."
The 2023 NBA Champion stood strongly with his brother, as he wanted to clear the air of any doubts or controversies placed on his brother's name. Be that as it may, his brother's situation remains up for debate as the league has not released any final findings on the matter.
Originally, Jontay Porter arrived in the league during 2020-21, one season after Michael Porter Jr.'s rookie year. He went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft but later signed with the Memphis Grizzlies, where he played 11 games before being waived. He then spent some time in the NBA G-League before signing a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors for the 2023-24 season.
In the 26 games he's played with the Raptors, Porter is averaging 4.4 points (38.5% shooting, including 33.3% from 3-point range), 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.