NEW YORK — Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter risks being banned from the league depending on the results of the NBA’s investigation into gambling involving Porter, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said during a ‘a press conference Wednesday following the league’s annual Board of Governors meeting.
“It’s a cardinal sin what he’s accused of in the NBA,” Silver said.
Porter has been absent from the Raptors since last month after the league learned of suspicious bets on Porter’s personal stats in two different games – both undercut for his prop bets. These bets were the most lucrative on NBA action during these game nights on DraftKings, according to DraftKings Sportsbook Insights, which is published daily and distributed to members of the media.
A DraftKings spokesperson could not confirm its accuracy.
FanDuel also saw Out of the ordinary betting activity under Porter’s bets on both nights, an industry source with knowledge of the betting confirmed to Athleticism. The company reported it to US Integrity, a company that monitors sports betting for suspicious activity.
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Silver said an investigation is underway into Porter. But he has a lot of leeway when it comes to punishing Porter.
“The final, extreme option I have is to ban him from the game,” Silver said. “That’s the level of authority I have here because there’s nothing more serious in this league when it comes to playing around our games than direct player involvement. The investigation is ongoing but the consequences could be serious.
NBA players cannot bet on the NBA, according to a copy of the player conduct memo reviewed by Athleticismand cannot manipulate or influence games – also called rigged games – or fail to perform to the best of their abilities for any reason related to betting.
With Porter, the NBA became the latest North American professional sports league to be ensnared in a betting controversy. Silver nonetheless said he remains a supporter of legalizing sports betting.
Silver said he would prefer Congress to be involved and create national laws rather than piecemeal resolutions with each state. Other sports leaders have also called for changes. NCAA President Charlie Baker wants prop betting banned in college sports.
“Regulation has a role to play here in determining the volume of marketing, and frankly the type of bets that can be placed on our games,” Silver said. “I’m not against the legalization of sports betting because I think the alternative is illegal sports betting, and I think that at least in a legalized structure there is transparency.
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“It’s really our two choices. There’s no going back, especially since sports betting became prevalent on the Internet, and we all knew before it was legalized that there was a lot going on.”
Betting has led to behavioral changes in the field. Silver said he has heard of an increased incidence of fans yelling at players about their over/under bets and at coaches about the number of minutes they are giving players. The players denounced the abuse they suffered. Sports betting advertising is commonplace in states where it is legal, in arenas and on television.
According to Silver, changes may be necessary.
“There are lessons to be learned from how sports betting is monitored and regulated in other jurisdictions,” Silver said. “Again, I think as these unfortunate examples arise, we may need to adjust our rules, and our partner gaming companies as well as companies that are not our partners may also need to adjust their behavior.”
Recent changes in officials
Scoring has been down across the NBA since February and it’s been clear for a while. Silver said Wednesday that the league responded to criticism from fans and coaches to recalibrate the league’s style of play and emphasis on its officials. This perhaps reached its apotheosis Tuesday night in Milwaukee, when the Boston Celtics and Bucks combined for just two free throws, both made by Milwaukee. This is an extreme example of how things have changed in recent months.
“Earlier in the season it felt like there was too much upside for offensive players,” Silver said. “I think Steve Kerr said offensive players use themselves as projectiles or looking for fouls, whatever you want to call it. So that was an important point from the league.
“We have been transparent with our teams on this subject. Once again, everyone can see what is happening on the ground and make their own judgment on the calls made. So yes, there were some adjustments along the way.
Silver said on average there have been two fewer fouls per team per game since mid-February. There was other evidence. The highest-scoring team in the NBA before the All-Star Game was the Indiana Pacers, averaging 123.7 points per game; The Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards were the middle teams averaging 114.9 and 114.8 points. The Pacers are the highest-scoring team since the All-Star Game, averaging 121 points per game; the median team averages 111.4 points.
The Celtics were the most efficient offense heading into the All-Star Game with 120.8 points per 100 possessions, and the Cavaliers and Utah Jazz were the median teams with 116.2 and 115.8 offensive ratings. Boston hasn’t been hampered by the new rules since the All-Star break, with an offensive rating of 125.5, but the median offensive rating has fallen to 113.9.
“If you look now at what we’re hearing from our fans, I think the fans want to see good offense, but they want players to be allowed to play defense as well, and I think that’s what we’re seeing. .So I’m very pleased with the state of the game and I expect that as we move into the playoffs, we’re going to continue to see great competition.
Timberwolves ownership dispute
Silver made the NBA’s first comment on the ownership dispute with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore remain at odds with current owner Glen Taylor over their attempt to purchase the Timberwolves. Lore and Rodriguez agreed to buy the team from Taylor in stages, with their contract requiring them to pay Taylor 40 percent of the franchise by March 27 – a stake that would give them control of the franchise.
Lore and Rodriguez rushed to finalize financing on their part before the deadline, but say they told Taylor they had the money and were just waiting for NBA approval for the sale to go through. Taylor said they missed the deadline, the deal was canceled and he would no longer sell the team.
Silver and the league said nothing publicly until Wednesday and he said the NBA would not get involved in the dispute, which is now legal. Lore, Rodriguez and Taylor will first attempt to resolve this matter through mediation, and if that does not work, then through arbitration, as stipulated in their sales contract.
“The league has no role in this process,” Silver said.
But this sale, or at least this sales agreement, could well change the way the league approaches future team sales that span several years like the sale of Minnesota was. Taylor initially agreed to sell the franchise in 2021 for $1.5 billion.
“It’s an important question,” Silver said. “I think this agreement happened at the beginning of the pandemic, when circumstances were extraordinary, I think, for everyone in our community. I also think lessons learned as new situations evolve around the league as to what type of trades make sense. I think let’s wait and see how this works.
“But it’s definitely not ideal to have a staggered transaction like this. From that point of view, it was within our rules, and that’s what Glen Taylor wanted and that’s what they were willing to accept at the time. But I think once the dust settles on this deal, it might cause us to re-evaluate what kind of transactions we should allow.
The NBA is heading into another playoff game between Steph Curry and LeBron James, but the very nature of this one gives an idea of how few of them might still be left. The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers are currently scheduled to face off in a 9-10 game in the West, a Play-In tournament game that will eliminate one of them from the playoffs. The other might still not make the playoffs either.
Curry and James have been the stars of the league for a decade now – even more so for James. Curry is 36 years old and James is 39 years old. At some point, perhaps even in the next few years, they will each retire.
The league’s business is closely tied to them, with their teams regularly among the most visible during nationally televised games and NBA Finals games, but Silver said he’s not concerned by what would happen to the league after their departure. He thinks the league will have new stars to replace them.
“Stars can also be created much more quickly these days than in the past,” Silver said. “So in some ways, legacy stars deserve to be in these positions, but again, with a huge social media community, literally billions for basketball, a global marketplace for talent that what’s so cool about sports is that it’s meritocracy, ultimately show us what we can do on the court in the case of basketball. I think the talent is rewarded, and when you are fortunate enough to be a league, both men’s and women’s, where the best in the world want to play in one league and there is so much basketball played globally, I just think that the stars will continue to emerge.
“They’re different, and for those who have been around this sport long enough, I remember when Magic retired, Larry retired, Michael retired, and Kobe retired. People were saying, “Oh, my God.” It’s amazing. It’s just that new and different stars eventually emerge, have their own personality, their own style, and the next generation of fans care about them as much as players before them.
Required reading
(Photo: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images)