Houston Rockets’ Porter Jr. charged with assault and strangulation

Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested and charged with assault and strangulation stemming from an incident with a woman at a New York City hotel, according to police.

A New York Police Department (NYPD) spokesperson told The Hill that authorities responded to a call of an assault at the Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza on Monday morning and arrested Porter after conducting an investigation. 

ABC News reported that the incident involved Porter’s girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick. 

Sources told the news outlet that the altercation began after Porter returned from an evening out in the city, where Gondrezick showed frustration with him returning late and locked the door of their hotel room. 

As he entered the hotel room, Porter allegedly began to beat up Gondrezick, sources added. 

“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,” an NYPD spokesperson told The Hill. 

“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 spokesperson added that Gondrezick was then transported to a medical facility for medical evaluation in stable condition. 

NBA spokesperson Mike Bass told The Hill that the league is aware of the situation. 

“The league office is in contact with the Houston Rockets and in the process of gathering more information,” Bass said. 

Porter was a first-round selection in the 2019 NBA Draft after spending one season at the University of Southern California. He recently inked a four-year contract extension with the Rockets.

The Hill has reached out to the Houston Rockets for comment and more information.