Former NBA player Jontay Porter has disclosed the extent of his gambling activity and the mental health crisis he experienced after receiving a lifetime ban from the league in April 2024. Porter estimated that he had placed approximately $500 million in lifetime wagers and described reaching a point where he considered taking his own life.
The former Toronto Raptors center discussed the personal consequences of his gambling addiction, including financial losses, difficulties in his marriage and an incident involving a firearm that he said his wife might not even know about. He also explained how his religious faith and the prospect of becoming a father helped him reconsider his decision to end his life.
Porter’s account provides further insight into the circumstances surrounding one of the NBA’s most prominent gambling scandals since sports betting became legal across multiple US states in 2018.
Porter Describes Suicidal Thoughts After NBA Sanction
Speaking to The New Yorker, Porter recalled visiting a gun range several times after the gambling controversy became public. During one particularly difficult episode, he said he held a gun to his head while crying.
“I went to the gun range for a few times just to blow off steam, and there was one incident where I—I don’t even think my wife knows this, but, like, held it to my head,” Porter recalled according to ClutchPoints. “I was just, like, crying, like, ‘I can’t do this anymore, I can’t.’ I thought my wife was gonna leave me. I don’t wanna live. The only thing holding me to this earth right now, I think, is my faith in God and my unborn son. I was like, ‘I have to meet him. No, I can’t leave this earth without meeting him.’”
The comments highlight the personal difficulties Porter faced following the NBA’s decision and the public reaction to his conduct. He has since sought professional help and is attending therapy to address his gambling problem.
His account also points to the financial consequences of his betting activity. Porter estimated that his lifetime wagers reached approximately $500 million, with his gambling extending across day trading, online casinos and sports betting platforms.
One particularly damaging period involved FanDuel, where he reportedly wagered more than $50 million over an 18-month stretch. He also disclosed taking out a $500,000 loan against his home, subsequently losing the money through bets on Russian table tennis. The losses ultimately forced him to sell the property.
NBA Investigation Resulted in Lifetime Ban
The NBA announced Porter’s lifetime suspension in April 2024, following an investigation into his betting activity and conduct during games. Commissioner Adam Silver issued the sanction after the league concluded that Porter had breached several gambling-related rules.
The investigation found that he had shared confidential information about his health with sports bettors, deliberately removed himself from games to influence player proposition wagers and placed bets on NBA games.
The controversy attracted considerable attention because it represented the league’s first major gambling scandal following the expansion of legal sports betting across numerous US states in 2018.
At the time of the suspension, Porter was playing for the Toronto Raptors, having previously spent time with the Memphis Grizzlies. He entered the NBA without being selected in the 2019 draft after playing college basketball at Missouri.
Porter joined Memphis in 2020 before eventually moving to Toronto. During his NBA career, he appeared in 37 games and started five. He finished with averages of 3.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
He is also the younger brother of Michael Porter Jr., who has played in the NBA.
Despite losing his NBA career following the gambling investigation, Porter has continued playing professional basketball. In 2026, he joined the Seattle Super Hawks of the United States Basketball League (USBL), giving him another opportunity to compete after his departure from the NBA. His return to the court proved successful. Porter helped Seattle secure the league championship and received the USBL Most Valuable Player award.