Raptors forward Jontay Porter has been issued a lifetime ban by the NBA, a decision that was not unexpected after commissioner Adam Silver hinted at severe consequences following allegations of gambling violations.
Although Porter had not yet made a significant impact on the court, spending the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons out of the NBA before briefly appearing in the Raptors’ rotation this year, the announcement still reverberated throughout the sports world as a stark reminder of the delicate balance between league gambling partnerships and player gambling infractions.
Porter joins a short list of players who have received lifetime bans for gambling-related offenses, underscoring the seriousness of such violations in professional sports.
Here’s a closer look at other players who have faced similar bans from the NBA.
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NBA lifetime bans
Throughout NBA history, more than two dozen players have been hit with lifetime bans, although many of these bans were eventually lifted. The vast majority of lifetime suspensions are connected to drug- or gambling-related issues.
Several collegiate players were also pre-emptively banned in 1951 as a result of a gambling scandal, but since they were never NBA players, they are not included in this list.
| Player | Offense | Year Banned | Reinstated? |
| Chris Andersen | Drug-related | 2006 | Yes |
* — Owner
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Longest NBA suspensions
While lifetime bans are the most severe punishments the NBA can impose, there have been other lengthy suspensions issued for various offenses. Here are some of the longest suspensions outside of lifetime bans:
| Player | Offense | Length |
| Robert Sarver* | Inappropriate workplace behavior | 93 games |
* — Owner
** — Minority owner
It’s worth noting that the duration of some suspensions may have been affected by external circumstances like shortened seasons due to COVID-19 or lockouts.