Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. recently made headlines after his appearance on the acclaimed podcast One Night with Steiny, where he discussed the sports gambling epidemic surrounding the NBA.
Let’s just say his comments brought some new ideas to light.
“Think about if you can get all your homies rich, telling them, yo, bet $10,000 on my under. You know, this one game I’m gonna act like I have an injury, and I’m gonna sit out after three minutes, and they all get a little bag ’cause you did it one game… that is so not okay, but some people probably think like that.”
Porter’s explanation of how players could potentially exploit gambling sounds a bit too calculated — but not far off from the growing trend. He went on to explain how his brother, Jontay Porter, faced similar issues with gambling, allegedly telling people around him to take the under on prop bets against him.
Sports betting scandals hit close to home for Michael Porter Jr.
Two other current players have faced comparable allegations: Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley. Rozier is still under federal investigation regarding game-fixing bets made in March 2023 — a situation that mirrors the scenario Porter described on the podcast.
“A bettor at a sportsbook in Biloxi, Mississippi, placed $13,759 in bets on the unders on Rozier’s statistics in a game that night between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans, according to documents ESPN acquired through an open records request. All 30 bets won, after Rozier, an eight-year veteran with the Hornets at the time, exited 10 minutes into the game, citing a foot issue.”
Beasley, although not under investigation or charged with a crime, has faced similar allegations involving under prop bets. He was coming off a career year with the Pistons, helping them reach the playoffs after winning just 14 regular-season games the year before, but he has remained a free agent amid the controversy.
So, what does all of this mean? The NBA may need to work more closely with major gambling platforms to monitor player involvement — and to flag betting trends that fall far outside the norm. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the issue during his 2025 Summer League press conference.
“We’re cooperating in every way. If my choice were legalized sports betting vs. illegalized sports betting, I’d choose legalized structure. In the cases we’re talking about — not necessarily in our league — they are engaging in illegal activity,” Silver said. “If you didn’t have that legalized structure, what else would you have that wouldn’t be going on? We do not have control over specific bets, and I believe some of the bets are problematic.”
The league will have to keep a closer eye on players whose activity raises suspicion. For now, the best they can do is hope those players steer clear of the troubling trends Porter described — trends that are already gaining traction in the NBA.