Michael Porter Jr. isn’t mincing words about sports betting. The Brooklyn Nets forward says the explosion of gambling around the NBA is hurting the way fans experience the game-and it’s putting players in situations they shouldn’t have to navigate.
On the One Night with Steiny podcast this week, Porter spoke candidly about what he sees as a troubling shift. “The enjoyment of the game isn’t for the game anymore,” he said. “It’s so that people can make money. In reality, way more people are losing money than making money.”
Porter’s perspective comes with a personal edge. His younger brother, Jontay Porter, was banned from the NBA in 2024 after admitting to manipulating games to benefit gamblers. In court, Jontay confessed to leaving two games early during the 2023-24 season to help associates cash in on “under” bets tied to his performance-moves he said were meant to pay off gambling debts.
Michael didn’t dwell on the incident, but he acknowledged how easy it can be for some players-especially those from tough financial backgrounds-to get pulled in. “Think about it,” he said, “if you could get all your homies rich by telling them, ‘Yo, bet $10,000 on my under this one game. I’m going to act like I’ve got an injury.’ That’s so not OK, but some people probably think like that.”
The No-Win Zone for Players
Prop bets-wagers on individual stats like points, rebounds, or minutes-have exploded in popularity since sports betting became legal in 38 states. For players, Porter says, it’s a lose-lose scenario:“We really do get death threats,” he explained. No matter what happens on the court, someone out there is upset that their bet didn’t hit.
That constant pressure isn’t just an online nuisance-it raises safety concerns. Porter says he’s genuinely worried about what might happen if an angry bettor decides to confront a player in person.
The numbers back up his unease. According to the Associated Press, Americans legally wagered nearly $130 billion on sports in 2024, with the NBA one of the most bet-on leagues. The Guardian has reported that the league could make more than $160 million this year from betting partnerships alone, a business reality that makes the issue even trickier to address.
Still, Porter has a solution in mind-though it’s not likely to sit well with sportsbooks. He believes betting should be limited to in-person wagers, and only in Las Vegas, removing the ease of placing a bet from a phone. “The whole sports gambling entity … it’s bad and it’s only going to get worse,” he said.
Recent headlines prove the risks aren’t hypothetical. This year, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier reportedly faced a federal probe over suspicious betting activity, echoing the fallout from the Jontay Porter case. With more players in the spotlight and more money on the line than ever, the league faces a balancing act between revenue and reputation.
For Michael Porter Jr., the choice is simple: protect the game. Whether the NBA will share that priority remains an open-and costly-question.
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