Former NBA player Jontay Porter, banned for life by the NBA in April 2024, admitted on Wednesday during a trial in New York that his behaviour led him to bet on the court. By leaving games early and influencing plays while on the court, his plan was to profit from betting. 

He pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy in the scandal. He even bet against his own team. The case cost him his sports career after the NBA banned him for life.

"I know what I did was wrong, it's illegal, and I'm deeply sorry," he said, according to ESPN. Porter said that his gambling addiction and debts may have led him to act in a way that constituted fraud and was a federal crime punishable by a prison sentence.

His actions of leaving matches early and influencing games could benefit his accomplices. Porter is now free on bail pending sentencing. Sentencing is scheduled for later this year. Bail has been set at $250,000 (€230,000). Estimates range from three and a half to four years in prison. 

The offence is punishable by a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. He is also likely to have to pay a large amount of compensation to mitigate his actions.

Porter's trial took place in New York. The former player made no comment as he left the courthouse. Jontay is not the only Porter in trouble: shortly after ESPN broke the news of Jontay's scandal, another brother, Coban, was sentenced to six months in jail after being involved in an accident that killed a woman, and a third brother, Jevon, was arrested in May for driving under the influence and exceeding the speed limit.

The NBA's investigation produced data confirming that Porter provided confidential information to bettors to help them win. Porter himself would bet on games in which he did not play, or if he did play, he would leave the court early. 

Messages implicating the former player were seized during the investigation. According to AP, Porter claimed he was ill or injured for some games as an excuse for his absence. Punters' winnings were speculated to be substantial, but the investigation abruptly halted the illegal activity and betting companies became suspicious before they could profit.

His NBA salary was around $410,000 (€378,000) and the investigation suggests he could have made around $54,000 (€49,800), just a quarter of his annual salary. Porter went undrafted in 2019 and signed with the Memphis Grizzlies for the 2020-21 season. 

He appeared in 11 games. The forward then had a stint in the G League. He played for the Milwaukee Bucks' affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, and the Detroit Pistons' affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. Porter averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 26 games last season.