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Jontay Porter Denied Permission to Resume Career in Greece After Lifetime NBA Ban
Former NBA player Jontay Porter's request to resume his basketball career in Greece is denied while he awaits his sentence for a betting scandal.
A federal judge has rejected Jontay Porter's plea to be allowed to revive his basketball career in Greece. The judgment came at a time while he awaits sentencing for his involvement in a betting scandal that led to a lifetime ban from the NBA.
Porter, who previously played for the Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors, sought to modify the conditions of his bond to regain his US passport, travel to Europe, and reside in Patras, Greece to join the Greek club Promitheas BC.
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Federal judge denied Jontay Portar permission to resume career in Greece
Porter's attorney, Jeff Jensen, highlighted in a letter that federal prosecutors in Brooklyn did not oppose the request. Jensen emphasized the urgency of the opportunity for Porter to earn income through his basketball skills. His attorney also asserted that there were no other opportunities available to him since his NBA ban.
However, despite the lack of opposition from the federal prosecutors, Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall denied the request, stating the modification would not be permitted. Porter, aged 24, was banned from the NBA for life after admitting to assisting bettors by intentionally underperforming in games.
His guilty plea in June to a federal conspiracy crime has left him free on a $250,000 bond, pending sentencing scheduled for December 18. Prosecutors anticipate a potential prison term of over four years.
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Jontay Porter looking forward to overseas career
The proposed overseas plans would not impede Jontay Porter's legal obligations, according to his attorneys. They clarified that Promitheas BC officials are fully aware that Porter could be summoned back to the United States "at a moment's notice."
Additionally, they assured the court that Porter would continue his treatment plan for gambling addiction while abroad, with the team making provisions for in-person counseling opportunities in Greece.
Porter's guilty plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in federal court on July 10 revolved around his involvement in a betting scandal linked to prop bets on his statistics in two games during the past season. As a consequence, he was banned from the NBA in April and now faces the possibility of a 3½ to over four-year prison sentence.
It is important to note that four other individuals have also been charged in connection with this case.
The outcome of this denial leaves Jontay Porter's future in limbo, with a sentencing hearing scheduled in New York on Dec. 18. As the legal proceedings progress, the impact of this decision on Porter's career and personal life remains to be seen.
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