NBA star Kevin Porter Jr. was arraigned Tuesday in New York City, accused of assaulting his girlfriend.
The Houston Rockets guard appeared in court earlier today, facing charges of felony assault and strangulation. He had been in police custody since his arrest Monday morning following an incident at the Millennium Hilton near the United Nations in Manhattan.
Porter was issued bail of $75,000 cash or $100,000 bond, as well as ordered to stay away from his girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick. He is due back in Manhattan court on October 16, when the Rockets are scheduled to play a preseason game in San Antonio.
According to the criminal complaint, Gondrezick told police that Porter punched her in the face with a closed fist repeatedly, which cut her above the right eye, causing bruising and substantial pain. Hospital testing showed that she was also left with a fractured neck vertebrae.
Porter and the Rockets agreed to a four-year $82.5 million contract extension in October, 2022. In a statement Monday, the Rockets said: “We are in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter involving Kevin Porter Jr. We have no further comment at this time.”
Porter's four year career in the NBA has been filled with controversies. In January 2022, the Rockets suspended him for one game after a “spirited debate” with then-coach Stephen Silas, who said the player “lost his temper” at halftime and refused to play the second half of the game.
In April 2021, Porter was fined $50,000 by the NBA for violating the league’s COVID-19 health restrictions when he visited a strip club in Miami. In November 2020, he was arrested after he was involved in a single-vehicle crash, and police reported finding a loaded handgun and marijuana in his car. Those charges were eventually dismissed.
If you or a loved one is experiencing domestic violence, help is available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233), text "START" to 88788, or chat online 24/7.
