Bryan Kevin Porter Jr. also known by his initials KPJ, is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans.
Porter was born in Seattle, Washington, to Ayanna and Bryan Kevin Porter Sr. His father played football, basketball, and baseball at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle in the 1990s. In July 2004, when Porter was four years old, his father was shot five times and killed while trying to help someone being attacked. As a result, he was raised by his mother, who became his role model.
Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was busted in New York City on Monday, September 11, and charged with assault and strangulation. He has been accused of assaulting his girlfriend Kysre Gondrezick, a 26-year-old former WNBA player, inside a Manhattan hotel.
The woman is apparently Porter’s girlfriend and Porter allegedly “assaulted her, struck her multiple times and choked her,” an NYPD spokesperson told CNN.
Porter, 23, was taken into custody on the scene and the woman was taken to a hospital, according to the spokesperson. He was held on preliminary charges of second-degree assault and strangulation, NYPD said.
The 23-year-old pro baller was apprehended by police at around 6:30 a.m. after receiving a 911 call for an assault. The incident took place at the four-star Millennium Hilton New York Hotel at 1 UN Plaza in Midtown, NYPD, and police sources said, according to New York Post. Kevin has been accused of hitting Kysre several times and placing his hands around her neck.
What happened to Kevin Porter Jr.’s girlfriend, Kysre Gondrezick?
"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 in her neck," a spokesperson said, according to ABC News. "A preliminary investigation on scene determined that a known individual struck her multiple times upon her body and placed his hands around the neck." Kysre had to be taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Neither Porter’s representative nor the Rockets have responded to requests for comment.
In a statement to CNN, NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said, “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 in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft out of University of Southern California by the Milwaukee Bucks. He would later end up with the Cleveland Cavaliers after being traded twice.
Porter has played four seasons in the league – one with the Cavaliers and the past three with the Rockets. Last season he averaged 19.2 points per game.
The Rockets announced in October that the team had signed Porter to a multiyear contract extension reportedly worth over $80 million.
