Jontay Porter Greece Bond Modification Denied
Judge Refuses to Let Porter Resume Playing Career in Greece
A federal judge shot down Jontay Porter’s request to continue his basketball career in Greece on Wednesday. Porter’s attorney, Jeff Jensen, asked for a bond modification to allow Porter to get his U.S. passport back. That would have allowed him to join Promitheas Patras BC of the Greek Basketball League. The Jontay Porter Greece bond modification was denied by U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall on Wednesday.
Jensen noted that federal prosecutors and the United States Pretrial Services Office didn’t object to his ruling. Porter would have been accompanied by his wife. The plan was for Porter to live in Patras, Greece.
The team had arranged counseling for Porter’s gambling addiction, and he would have been able to continue his virtual treatment program. Porter is best known as the NBA player banned for gambling.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned him in April for betting on Raptors games. He also faked injury in two other games to leave early, allowing those who bet against him in props to cash their wagers.
Porter entered a guilty plea in June, but sentencing isn’t until December. He is expected to receive between 40 and 52 months in prison.
There will also likely be fines and restitution. The league prohibits NBA betting by its players, but betting on or against your team is considered a much more serious matter. When your NBA predictions come from inside the locker room, you have a major advantage. That’s why Porter received a ban from the league.
‘Limited Window to Earn an Income’
In Jensen’s letter to the court seeking the Jontay Porter Greece bond reduction, he noted that Porter is in his prime earning years as a basketball player.
“The proposed modification would allow Mr. Porter to pursue a very fortunate – and quickly diminishing – opportunity to earn income through his primary skillset” Jensen wrote. “Mr. Porter, and more importantly his agent, believe such an opportunity is unlikely to arise again. As you may know, the National Basketball Association recently banned Mr. Porter .Mr. Porter’s primary skillset and means of earning a living involve playing professional basketball.
“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.”
Porter became the first player banned for gambling since Jack Molinas in 1954. Molinas eventually became an attorney but received a 10 to 15-year sentence for bribery charges in 1964. People saw Molinas as one of the masterminds of the City College of New York betting scandal of the 1950s.
Porter doesn’t have many options after the Jontay Porter Greece bond modification was denied. No team in the U.S. will let him play for them.
If unable to play overseas, his basketball career has likely come to an end. Porter may best serve himself by working on finishing his college degree and preparing for life after basketball. If he serves a four-year sentence, he will be 29 at release and will not have played competitive basketball in nearly five years.
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