NEW YORK — Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested early Monday morning after police said he beat and choked a woman at a hotel.
The New York Police Department said at about 6:45 a.m., it received a call about an assault at the Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza. When police got there, they found a 26-year-old woman with a cut to the right side of her face.
(Video of Porter in custody above courtesy New York Post)
NYPD said the woman was hit multiple times by a 23-year-old man, later identified as Porter Jr. He's also accused of putting his hands around her neck.
The woman was taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation.
Porter was arrested and charged with assault and strangulation.
The Rockets released the following statement on this incident:
"We are in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter involving Kevin Porter Jr. We have no further comment at this time."
Below is a response from the NBA:
“We are aware of the reports regarding Kevin Porter Jr. The league office is in contact with the Houston Rockets and in the process of gathering more information.”
Porter was selected 30th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. He was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2021. Last year, as he averaged 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, he signed a lucrative four-year extension with the Rockets.
Porter's career, though, has been marred by off-court issues.
In November 2020, while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Porter was arrested after police said they found a loaded handgun and marijuana in his car after a single-vehicle crash. Porter claimed he didn’t know the gun was there, and his charges were eventually dismissed.
The Cavaliers traded Porter to the Rockets a few months later after he reportedly blew up at the team's general manager after finding out that his locker had been moved to make room for a newly acquired player.
In April 2021, the NBA fined Porter $50,000 for violating the league’s COVID-19 health and safety rules by visiting a Miami strip club. In January 2022, the Rockets suspended Porter for a game after then-coach Stephen Silas said the player had a “spirited debate” and “lost his temper” at halftime.