Judge denies Jontay Porter’s request for his passport so he can play pro ball in Greece

On Tuesday (16 July), banned NBA player Jontay Porter filed a motion to get his passport back before sentencing in an NBA sports betting scandal, so he can play basketball in Greece. A district court judge denied the motion.

The motion, filed by Porter in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, included four requests:

1. for Jontay Porter to get his passport back;

2. to travel to and around Europe;

3. to live in Patras, Greece; and

4. to play pro basketball in Patras, Greece.

Porter last week pleaded guilty to felony charges and admitted to being part of a gambling scandal in which he removed himself from two NBA games so others could win their bets. Four others have been charged in the scandal.

Porter is set to be sentenced in December. Federal prosecutors are recommending that he serve 41-51 months in prison. He’ll also have to pay more than $450,000 in fines and fees.

Porter was released on $250,000 bond put up by his wife and mother.

Jontay Porter’s opportunity to play pro “diminishing”

Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2020, Porter has not previously played basketball in Europe. His four-year career was in the NBA, where he bounced around multiple levels in the league.

Jontay Porter is the brother of Denver Nugget Michael Porter.

In the motion Tuesday, Porter’s lawyer, Jeff Benson, wrote that Porter wanted “to pursue a very fortunate and quickly diminishing opportunity to earn income through his primary skillset”. The lawyers also wrote that Porter’s agent “believe(s) such an opportunity is unlikely to arise again”.

In Greece, the lawyers wrote, Porter would live with his wife and “expected newborn”. He would also have frequent oversight from his mother, mother-in-law and the Promitheas BC basketball team. Benson also wrote that Porter would be able to return to New York to meet his court obligations and would continue his treatment plan. A condition of Porter’s bond is that he get gambling addiction counselling.

The motion was not opposed by federal prosecutors. But Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall denied the request.