Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr., 23, was arrested on assault and strangulation charges at a New York hotel Monday morning, ABC News reported.
Police responded to a 911 call reporting an assault around 6:45 a.m. ET and, after an investigation, arrested Porter Jr.
Porter's girlfriend, a former WNBA player, was transported to the hospital for evaluation.
Kevin Porter Jr. arrest: What the police said about domestic violence charges
A New York City police spokesperson said, "Upon arrival officers were informed that a 26-year-old female sustained a laceration to the right side of her face and was complaining about pain to her neck," the spokesperson continued, "A preliminary investigation on scene determined that a known individual struck her multiple times upon her body and placed his hands around the neck."
The Houston Rockets are aware of the situation and have issued a statement, saying, "We are in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter involving Kevin Porter Jr.," and that, "We have no further comment at this time."
Kevin Porter Jr. history of conduct issues adds to concerns
Kevin Porter Jr. spent one season at USC before getting drafted by the Cavaliers with the 30th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
These off-the-court issues are sadly not a new development for Porter Jr. At USC, Porter Jr. was 'suspended indefinitely' in January of his freshman season for "conduct issues."
As a member of the Cavaliers, Kevin Porter Jr sat out for a whole year and was traded following an outburst in the locker room towards team officials.
In January of 2022, Houston dealt Porter a one-game suspension after he got into with it with assistant coach John Lucas at halftime.
Last season, Porter signed a deal worth up to $82.5 million. However, only $15.9 million of that salary is fully guaranteed in the deal, due to Porter's history of off-court problems.
The NBA has acknowledged Kevin Porter Jr.'s arrest and is currently in contact with the Houston Rockets and is in the process of gathering more information.
