NBA Commissioner Adam Silver: "yes, the allegations are horrific."

Posted: September 13, 2023 -- 6:51 p.m. CT

Earlier Wednesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver held a Board of Governors press conference. Much of the press conference was to discuss the NBA's new Player Participation Policy "which is intended to promote player participation in the NBA's regular season."

In addition to answering questions from the media about the new policy, Commissioner Silver was asked about the serious domestic violence allegations against Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr.

Monday, September 11, Porter was arrested and charged with felony assault and strangulation on his girlfriend, Kysre Gondrezick. Porter pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released after posting bail, which was set at $75,000 cash or $100,000 bond.

Porter's alleged attack on his girlfriend in a New York City hotel room left the woman with a fractured neck vertebra and a deep cut above her right eye.

At Wednesday's press conference Commissioner Silver was asked Kevin Porter be allowed to continue to practice and play when teams report at the end of this month?

Here's the transcript of the Q and A regarding the Kevin Porter Jr. situation:

Q. Kevin Porter Jr. is facing some pretty serious charges. The alleged details of that case, at least what we have seen reported so far, are pretty horrific. In the past, your league has been very deferential toward law enforcement and the judicial system, waiting for these things to play out before you step in or enforce any kind of discipline. Can you just elaborate on what that policy is right now and whether you expect that that will be the same approach with this case? Will Kevin Porter be allowed to continue to practice and play when teams report at the end of this month?

ADAM SILVER: So, one, yes, the allegations here are horrific. No question about it. But I don't know anything more, of course, about the actual facts, other than reading those allegations. We have a domestic violence policy that was collectively bargained with the Players Association. Again, when I say bargained, I mean, not a contentious issue. They certainly feel as strongly as we do about the issue.

Every case, though, also depends on its unique facts. I think here when we're not in season, there's a little bit more of an opportunity to absorb what's happening before we act. I think if it were a case where we were in the middle of a season, we might be compelled to do something faster. So while ultimately we're required to be deferential to law enforcement when there's an investigation, and clearly there's an investigation now, I think this has given us the opportunity, because we're not in season, training camps haven't opened yet, to take a little bit of time here to better understand the situation.

One thing I learned over many years of working on these cases is not to assume anything here and not just rely on headlines, but to try to truly understand what's happening here as a combination of what law enforcement has learned and direct interviews. We're still now in the process of gathering information.

Q. I want to follow up on that. By my understanding, a team and the league cannot both levy punishment for the same case at the same time. If you guys are undergoing your own investigation, will Kevin Porter Jr. be available to participate and play once training camp and the preseason starts?

ADAM SILVER: So there is, in essence, a double jeopardy provision. The league and the team can't act independently. But that's independent of whether or not he'll be made available. I mean, certainly we and the team are talking to each other. While we're investigating, the team can't then go off and act independently. But sort of what I was suggesting, we have a bit of time to decide whether it will be appropriate for him to go to training camp or not.

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