Ex-NBA Player Jontay Porter Reveals Suicidal Thoughts After Lifetime Ban

Former NBA player Jontay Porter has opened up about his darkest moments following his lifetime ban from the league over a massive gambling scandal, revealing he contemplated suicide at the height of the crisis.

In a candid interview with The New Yorker magazine, the former Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors forward shared the emotional toll of his downfall. Porter admitted that after being expelled from the league, he reached a breaking point driven by despair and fear of losing his family.

"I went to a shooting range a few times to blow off steam. On one occasion — I don't even think my wife knows about this — I put the gun to my head. I just cried and told myself: 'I can't do this anymore'. I thought my wife was going to leave me. I didn't want to live."

Porter credited his faith and the impending birth of his son as the crucial anchors that kept him from taking his own life. "The only thing that kept me going was my belief in God and the son who was about to be born to me. I told myself: 'I have to meet him. I can't leave this world without meeting him'," he added.

In April 2024, the NBA officially announced Porter's lifetime ban after an investigation revealed he violated multiple league rules. Porter shared confidential medical information with sports bettors, intentionally removed himself early from games to influence prop bets, and placed bets on NBA games himself. Following the ruling, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a stern statement emphasizing that protecting the integrity of the sport is paramount.

Written by Nick Berardini for The New Yorker, the profile also revealed staggering details about Porter's gambling addiction, with the player estimating his lifetime betting volume reached approximately half a billion dollars through online casinos and betting sites. Since his expulsion from the NBA, Porter has continued his basketball career playing for the Seattle Superhawks in the USBL.