Houston Rockets player Kevin Porter Jr. has said he didn’t do it after being accused of hurting someone he’s close to.
Porter, who’s 23, got in trouble for allegedly hurting his girlfriend, Kysre Gondrezick, a former WNBA player. The incident happened at a hotel in Manhattan, and prosecutors claim he seriously hurt her neck and gave her a bad cut above her eye during the fight. The fight only ended when she ran away, all covered in blood, according to papers from court that The Associated Press got.
Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Mirah Curzer said, “This is a very serious case of domestic violence.”
In court in Manhattan, Porter said he didn’t do it when he had to answer to the charges on Tuesday. He paid $75,000 to get out of jail and has to go back to court on October 16. He’s also been told to stay away from Gondrezick, who was picked as the 4th overall player in the 2021 WNBA draft.
The NBA and Rockets said they are aware of the charges against Porter.
“We are aware of the reports regarding Kevin Porter Jr.,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. “The league office is in contact with the Houston Rockets and in the process of gathering more information.”
Porter had been gaining fame and recognition before this incident occurred.
The New York Police Department told USA TODAY Sports that Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested early Monday after a 26-year-old woman ended up in the hospital. She was hurt because he “hit her many times on her body and grabbed her neck.”
As per a legal complaint from The Associated Press, Porter punched the woman in the face repeatedly with a closed fist, which caused a cut above her eye. He also put his hands around her neck, making it hard for her to breathe. Hospital tests later found bruises and a broken neck bone. The prosecutor, Mirah Curzer, mentioned that this wasn’t the first time Porter hurt this woman. She told the court that he once crashed his car into hers.
Before the last basketball season, Porter agreed to a four-year deal worth $63.4 million that starts this season. The whole contract is not guaranteed, just the first year, as per Spotrac. Porter has been in the NBA for four seasons, spending the last three with the Rockets. He became a regular starter and scored an average of 19.2 points in 59 games in the 2022-23 season.
Porter and Gondrezick, who were seen together at a New York Fashion Week event just before the reported incident, began their relationship in February 2022, as mentioned in a social media post celebrating their anniversary. Gondrezick is not currently signed with any team and her last season in the WNBA was in 2021 when she played for the Indiana Fever.
Porter had problems with his behavior while playing for both professional and college teams.
Porter faced disciplinary actions during his early basketball career. As a freshman at the University of Southern California in January 2019, he was suspended indefinitely due to an unspecified behavior problem.
In the 2019 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him as the 30th overall pick, but they traded him to the Rockets during his rookie season. This trade came after Porter had an angry outburst, which involved shouting and throwing food when his locker was moved. He also had a confrontation with the Cavaliers’ general manager, Koby Altman.
While with the Cavaliers, Porter got into legal trouble after a single-car accident. He was charged with mishandling a firearm in a vehicle, not controlling the vehicle properly, driving without a license, and possessing marijuana. A grand jury decided not to charge him for the firearm incident, and the charges related to his license and marijuana were dropped. Porter admitted responsibility for not controlling his vehicle properly.