Following his arrest on domestic assault and strangulation charges last month, Houston Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone announced during NBA media day that guard Kevin Porter Jr. had been waived by the team.
Last September, fans awoke to the disturbing news that talented Rockets guard Porter had been arrested for beating and strangling his girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Rae Gondrezick, in their room at the Big Apple hotel in New York.
As soon as she got away from Porter, she fled the scene immediately and called for help. She was then rushed to NYU Langone Medical Center, where medical personnel determined that a vertebra had been broken in her neck.
After the story went viral on social media, several news outlets revealed Porter’s disturbing and violent past, claiming that his behavior was nothing new. Stories of him hitting another woman in 2020, going on a club rampage, being involved in single car accidents, and having locker outbursts in Cavaliers and Rockets locker rooms quickly circulated.
Houston Rockets GM’s statement
“The allegations against him are deeply troubling,” Houston Rockets GM Stone said. “Going back a few weeks, as soon as I heard the allegations, I informed his representatives that he could not be part of the Houston Rockets. He has not been with the team or around it since that time.”
In October 2022, Porter signed a 4-year extension contract worth $82.5 million with the Rockets. And this deal would have kept him with the Rockets until the 26-27 season, and he would have been paid $15.9 million for this season. However, due to Porter’s recent disturbing allegations, the Houston Rockets decided to terminate his contract under the provisions of the domestic violence policy, despite having invested significant time and effort into the guard both on and off the court.
“What’s left for the team to do is evaluate the next steps for our organization that remain in compliance with the league domestic violence policy,” Stone added. “This is now a league matter, and that’s where it’s at.”
According to reports, Porter entered a plea of not guilty to the charges and was granted release after posting bail. The court, however, has ordered him not to get close to or associate with the defendant. Porter’s next court date is scheduled for October 16th in Manhattan.
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