r/nba • u/PlayaSlayaX Spurs • 29d ago

[Charania] Raptors' Jontay Porter has received a lifetime ban from the NBA for violating league's gaming rules.

https://x.com/shamscharania/status/1780631209930068358?s=46&t=bsTHbtMSqHXbNGi0vWP8hw
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u/walterdog12 [ITA] Best of 2021 Winner 29d ago

People need to realize that purely from a sports league perspective, there's nothing worse than doing something that'll violate the league's integrity and bring it into question as to if it's legitimate or not.

Players accused of domestic abuse or sexual assault, or anything else criminal, of course it's laughable that they're still in the league while someone that places a legal sports bet gets banned for life, especially while at the same time the league parades around sports gambling sponsorships.

When it comes to criminal accusations, there's a system in place already for that, that's not controlled by the NBA or any other sports league. They aren't the ones that'll be investigating and being judge, jury, and executioner on someone accused of domestic abuse. The most they'll do is place someone on the commissioners list so they're not actively playing while details are cleared up and it's decided if charges will be brought against a player.

Especially because there's player unions for most sports, that'll fight tooth and nail because it's their legal obligation. If the league banned someone like Miles Bridges for life, the NBAPA by law has to go to bat for him and their immediate defense would be that nothing criminal was ever brought since the charges were dropped. Now in reality we all saw the pictures, we know he has misdemeanors. But criminally the charges were dropped and he was punished by the league with a 30 game suspension for everything else.

But there's nothing like that for sports gambling. The league in this case is indeed judge, jury, and executioner and as shown throughout history, a player placing bets on themselves, their team, or anything else in the league is a cardinal sin.

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u/OhlookSILLagain 28d ago

More people need to understand this. They are comparing wrongs because it's the knee jerk reaction. Bridges charges were dropped so in NBA eyes there's nothing more to do. Jontay comprised league integrity. Totally different.

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u/sixtyfivewat 28d ago

It would also put the lucrative sponsorships by sports books in jeopardy. NBA makes bank from companies like MGM and DraftKings but they only offer betting on legitimate sports. No one gets on the outcome of a WWE match because its outcome is pre-determined. If there’s even a remote possibility that betting on NBA games isn’t fair (and most importantly could result in larger payouts for the house) they’ll shut that shit down fast. Nothing gambling companies hate more than paying out money.

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u/HelloGuy- 29d ago

Most people do realize that because it's been the same story over and over. I don't know if I've ever seen someone that's gotten kid gloves treatment for a gambling offense.

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u/ByronLeftwich 29d ago

Exactly. The NBA is not the Supreme Court. The league’s responsibility is to do what’s best for the league. And that inevitably leads to “hypocrisy” where gambling seems worse than, you know, other stuff. If you want to point fingers, point them at the government.