Hey there, basketball fans! Have you heard the latest news about Jontay Porter? If not, let me fill you in on the details. It seems like the talented player is seeking a bond modification so he can play in Greece after being involved in a gambling scandal.
For those who might not be familiar with Jontay Porter, he is a basketball player who has faced his fair share of challenges in his career. Just when things were looking up for him, he found himself caught up in a gambling scandal that threatened to derail his future in the sport.
But being the resilient and determined athlete that he is, Jontay is not giving up without a fight. He sees an opportunity to continue playing basketball in Greece, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. That’s where the bond modification comes into play.
The hooper pled guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud earlier this month related to the betting case that earned him a lifetime ban from the NBA and led to four other men facing federal charges.
Porter’s lawyer, Jeff Jenson, asked Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall on Tuesday to allow Porter to travel to Greece to play professional basketball for Promitheas Patras BC of the Greek Basketball League.
As part of his release on a $250,000 bond after pleading guilty, Porter had to surrender his passport, which Jenson is now asking for him to get back as part of the modification.
He also asked in the letter obtained by The Post that Porter be allowed to travel in Europe and that he also be allowed to reside in Patras Greece.
The letter stated that the United States Attorney’s Office and the United States Pretrial Services Officer did not have any objections and that Porter would be accompanied by his wife while being under the close supervision of his Greek team, mother and mother-in-law.
Jenson also wrote that Promitheas BC was aware of his need to travel back to New York for court obligations and would be “very accommodating to a proposed schedule of flexibility to meet any obligation.”
Porter has a sentencing hearing scheduled for Dec. 18 and faces 41-51 months in prison based on sentencing guidelines, The Athletic reported.
An NBA investigation found that Porter had bet on Raptors games and manipulated his own performance in order to help others win prop bets that were placed on him.
In a complaint brought against four other men by federal prosecutors last month, it was alleged that Porter owed large gambling debts and had agreed to pull himself early from games claiming to be injured.
In one instance a man bet $80,000 on a Porter-related parlay and won $1.1 million.
The entire incident has made it hard for Porter to find a job in basketball and his lawyer called the Promitheas BC opportunity a “fortunate” one.
“The proposed modification would allow Mr. Porter to pursue a very fortunate – and quickly diminishing – opportunity to earn income through his primary skillset. Mr. Porter, and more importantly his agent, believe such an opportunity is unlikely to arise again,” Jenson wrote. “As you may know, Mr. Porter was recently banned from the National Basketball Association. Mr. Porter’s primary skillset and means of earning a living involve playing professional basketball. He left college early in 2020 to enter the NBA draft and has not yet finished earning credits towards his college degree.
“Since being banned from the NBA there have been no other opportunities available to continue his basketball career. Mr. Porter has a limited window to earn an income through professional basketball during his prime earning years as a professional athlete.”
Fans are rallying behind Jontay Porter as he fights for the chance to continue pursuing his dreams. We all make mistakes, but it’s how we learn from them and move forward that truly matters. Here’s to hoping that Jontay gets the bond modification he needs to play in Greece and show the world what he’s truly made of. Go, Jontay!
