Jontay Porter is being investigated by the Ontario Provincial Police

In April, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver imposed a lifetime league ban on Jontay Porter for betting on his own team and sharing personal information with bettors.

According to ESPN, the OPP Investigation and Enforcement Bureau will coordinate with U.S. federal authorities, who are also investigating violations related to two NBA games. Porter removed himself from games on Jan. 26 and March 22. According to an affidavit from federal authorities, Porter left the games early, allegedly at the behest of Ammar Awawdeh.

“Screenshot of this…I, Ammar Awawdeh, born 7/23/91, am forcing (Player 1) to do this,” reads one text in the affidavit. Porter allegedly responded, “If I don’t do a special on your terms, then it’s over. And you hate me and if I don’t get you 8k by Friday, you’re coming to Toronto to beat me up.”

Porter is not named in the affidavit, but the key dates related to Porter’s lifetime ban match those in the affidavit. The affidavit also states that “Player 1” was banned from the NBA and Porter is the only player to receive such a penalty.

Did Porter bet illegally?

The texts at least suggest that Porter was betting illegally, while Awawdeh and his associates took the information Porter shared and bet using DraftKings and FanDuel. DraftKings first reported suspicious betting activity to the NBA after the Jan. 26 game.

Sports betting on individual events is legal in Ontario and New Jersey, where bettors placed their wagers. But it is a violation of NBA rules to bet on the league. Any player who bets on his own team will be banned for life. When the NBA launched its investigation, Silver made it clear that he would not spare any player who bet on his own team.

“I have a tremendous range of disciplinary action at my disposal,” Silver said in April, according to the Associated Press. “What he is accused of in the NBA is a cardinal sin. The most extreme option I have is to ban him from the game. That is the authority I have here, because there is nothing more serious.”

U.S. authorities have not filed charges against Porter. But Awawdeh and three others have been charged with wire fraud. All were caught or turned themselves in and were arraigned in federal court in New York in early June. The four either placed “under” bets on points, rebounds or assists in the games Porter withdrew from or financed such bets.

Jontay Porter is the brother of Denver Nugget Michael Porter. The Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals. Michael Porter scored 16 points and had 13 rebounds as the Nuggets sealed their victory in Game 5.