Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested in New York City early Monday on allegations of assaulting his girlfriend, Kysre Gondrezick, a former WNBA player, police said. Porter, 23, was formally charged with assault and strangulation. However, Porter is facing additional accusations, as three more women have come forward accusing him of assault.
When police arrived, they found Porter’s Gondrezick, 26, who had previously played for the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky, with a facial cut and suffering from neck pain, according to police and sources. According to police, Porter allegedly struck Gondrezick multiple times and also placed his hands around her neck.
Arrested for Brutal Assault
The alleged assault took place after the couple had gone out on Sunday night and subsequently returned to their hotel, as per sources.
Gondrezick was asleep when she was awakened by her NBA player boyfriend allegedly physically assaulting her, according to the sources.
She was immediately taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation and was reported to be in stable condition.
Porter, whose full name is Bryan Kevin Porter Jr., has been charged with assault and strangulation, as confirmed by the police.
“We are aware of the reports regarding Kevin Porter Jr.,” an NBA spokesperson told The Post. “The league office is in contact with the Houston Rockets and in the process of gathering more information.”
Porter, who had signed a $63.4 million contract with the Rockets in 2022, was awaiting arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday.
The former first-round draft pick, whose arrest was first reported by WABC-TV, arrived at the courthouse with his hands cuffed behind his back and remained silent as two NYPD officers escorted him. He either looked down or straight ahead as he was led inside.
History of Outbursts
Porter and Gondrezick had been photographed together on September 7, attending Vogue’s Smart Tox kickoff event to mark the beginning of New York Fashion Week.
Porter has a history of outbursts, and in January 2021, he was traded from Cleveland to Houston after a reported incident in which he got into a screaming match and even tossed food when his locker was shifted to a wall with younger players, as reported by The Athletic at the time.
Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman confronted Porter during the incident, and Porter reportedly remained combative, as detailed in the report.
As a result, Porter was instructed to clean out his new locker, and his teammates were informed that he would no longer be part of the team, as reported by ESPN at that time.
In November 2020, the former Cavaliers guard faced charges of improperly handling a firearm in a vehicle in Cleveland, Ohio, but the case was dropped a month later.
In January 2022, he had to be separated from then-Houston assistant coach John Lucas during a halftime exchange, during which Porter lost his temper and threw an object, as reported by The Athletic.
Following this incident, Porter left the arena and drove home with the second half of the game yet to be played.
Porter reportedly issued an apology for the incident at a later time.