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[Saba Sports News] In April, Porter was banned from the NBA for life after it was discovered he was betting on NBA games, including those involving his team, the Toronto Raptors. He was found to be tipping off bettors about plans to leave games with fake issues, allowing them to win proposition bets on his stat lines. Bettors would wager that Porter’s stats would be lower than usual, and Porter would fake an illness and leave early to ensure their payout.
Many wondered why Porter would jeopardize his career for quick money. The reason has now been revealed: he was paying off a gambling debt.
The New York Post’s Kyle Schnitzer reported that Porter had accumulated significant gambling debts earlier in the year and was encouraged to underperform in games to pay off these debts.
The Post also reported that Long Phi Pham, a 38-year-old man known as “Bruce,” was arrested while trying to fly from JFK International Airport to Australia on a one-way ticket. Pham was attempting to leave the country a day after the government tried to question him. He was arrested with $12,000 in cash, two cashier checks totaling $80,000, and several betting slips.
Pham faces up to 20 years in prison on wire fraud charges.
The 24-year-old Porter played 37 games in his NBA career before being banned.