Coban Porter sentenced in fatal DUI crash days after brother's lifetime NBA ban for gambling

Coban Porter sentenced for fatal DUI crash shortly after brother's NBA ban for gambling, highlighting family's contrasting paths

In a tragic turn of events for the Porter family, Coban Porter, the younger brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter and Jontay Porter, was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday for his involvement in a fatal drunken driving crash.

 

The incident occurred on January 22, when Coban Porter, then a sophomore basketball player for the University of Denver, ran a red light at an intersection and collided with another vehicle driven by 42-year-old Katharina Rothman. Rothman tragically lost her life in the accident, while her passenger, Jason Branch, sustained serious injuries.

 

Porter pleaded guilty to DUI vehicular homicide and vehicular assault, admitting to driving drunk at the time of the crash. Despite his promising basketball career in college, with an average of 11.4 points per game as a freshman, Porter's actions resulted in devastating consequences.

 

This sentencing comes amid another blow to the Porter family, as just two days prior, Jontay Porter, also a basketball player, was banned from the NBA following an investigation into his misconduct related to sports betting.

 

The NBA disclosed that Jontay had shared confidential health information with an individual known to be an NBA bettor, who subsequently placed an $80,000 bet on a proposition involving Jontay's performance in a game. Additionally, Jontay was found to have placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using an associate's betting account while affiliated with the Toronto Raptors or its G League team, Raptors 905.

 

These developments cast a shadow over the Porter family, with one member facing the consequences of a tragic mistake resulting in loss of life, while another grapples with the repercussions of violating NBA rules and compromising the integrity of the sport.

 

As the NBA playoffs loom for Michael Porter and the Denver Nuggets, the family faces a tumultuous period ahead, grappling with legal proceedings, personal consequences, and the tarnishing of their once-promising basketball legacies.