Raptors forward Jontay Porter was hit with a lifetime ban by the NBA on Wednesday, news that came as little surprise after commissioner Adam Silver hinted significant consequences could be in store after allegations of gambling violations.
Porter wasn’t a high-impact player on the court just yet, as he spent the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons out of the NBA altogether before briefly working his way into the Raptors’ rotation this year, but the announcement sent shockwaves throughout sports as a reminder of how fine a line it is between league gambling partnerships and player gambling violations.
Porter isn’t the first player to receive a lifetime ban for gambling-related offenses, let alone the first player to earn a lifetime ban at all. Lifetime suspensions are rare — it’s even rarer that those bans actually last as long as promised — but they are not unheard of in recent league history.
Here’s a closer look at which other players have been handed a lifetime ban by the NBA.
MORE ON JONTAY PORTER:
NBA lifetime bans
More than two-dozen NBA players have been hit with a lifetime ban in league history, though many bans were lifted. Almost all lifetime suspensions deal with either drug- or gambling-related offenses.
A handful of other collegiate players were pre-emptively banned in 1951 as part of a gambling scandal but were not NBA players at any point and therefore aren’t included.
| Individual | Offense | Year banned | Reinstated? |
| Chris Andersen | Drug-related | 2006 | Yes |
| Ralph Beard | Point-shaving | 1951 | No |
| Roger Brown | Gambling | 1951 | No |
| John Drew | Drug-related | 1986 | No |
| Richard Dumas | Drug-related | 1995 | No |
| Tyreke Evans | Drug-related | 2019 | Yes |
| Alex Groza | Point-shaving | 1951 | No |
| Jalen Harris | Drug-related | 2021 | Yes |
| Connie Hawkins | Point-shaving | 1966 | Yes |
| Tony Jackson | Gambling | 1961 | No |
| Eddie Johnson | Drug-related | 1987 | No |
| Lewis Lloyd | Drug-related | 1987 | Yes |
| Norm Mager | Gambling | 1951 | No |
| O.J. Mayo | Drug-related | 2016 | No |
| Doug Moe | Gambling | 1961 | Yes |
| Jack Molinas | Point-shaving | 1954 | No |
| Jontay Porter | Gambling | 2024 | No |
| Micheal Ray Richardson | Drug-related | 1986 | Yes |
| Stanley Roberts | Drug-related | 1999 | Yes |
| Donald Sterling* | Racist remarks | 2014 | No |
| Ron Tarpley | Drug-related | 1995 | No |
| Chris Washburn | Drug-related | 1989 | No |
| Duane Washington | Drug-related | 1988 | Yes |
| Mitchell Wiggins | Drug-related | 1987 | Yes |
* — Owner
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Longest NBA suspensions
Lifetime bans are, of course, the longest suspensions the NBA can dole out. Here’s a look at the longest suspensions outside of lifetime bans:
| Individual | Offense | Length |
| Robert Sarver* | Inappropriate workplace behavior | 93 games |
| Metta World Peace | Entering crowd during brawl | 86 games |
| Latrell Sprewell | Choking, punching coach | 68 games |
| Mark Stevens** | Pushing player | 65 games |
| Gilbert Arenas | Pointing gun at teammate | 50 games |
| Javaris Crittenton | Pointing gun at teammate | 38 games |
| Stephen Jackson | Entering crowd during brawl | 30 games |
| Miles Bridges | Domestic violence | 30 games |
* — Owner
** — Minority owner
Some suspensions were initially handed out as season-long bans but ended up lasting longer or shorter than other punishments because of other circumstances, such as the NBA’s shortened seasons due to COVID-19 or lockouts.
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