Rockets star Kevin Porter Jr. arrested and hit with shocking assault charges

New York, New York - Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested Monday and charged with assault and strangulation of his girlfriend.

Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested in New York and charged with assaulting his girlfriend.
Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested in New York and charged with assaulting his girlfriend.  © CARMEN MANDATO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

Porter and his girlfriend were staying at the Millennium Hotel in New York, and per a police report, she was upset he returned early in the morning and locked him out of the room.

Porter was able to gain access to the room with the help of hotel security, and he then assaulted her, according to the report.

At 6:45 AM EDT, police responded to a 911 call accusing Porter of assault and after an investigation, the police arrested the 23-year-old with the felony charges of assault and strangulation.

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"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," a police spokesperson said. "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 woman, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation.

Rockets respond to Porter's arrest

Porter was second on the Rockets in scoring in his third season with the Rockets, after being traded from Cleveland.
Porter was second on the Rockets in scoring in his third season with the Rockets, after being traded from Cleveland.  © CARMEN MANDATO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

The Rockets issued a statement following the arrest to ESPN.

"We are in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter involving Kevin Porter Jr.," the statement read. "We have no further comment at this time."

He is entering his fifth season in the NBA and fourth in Houston after spending his 2019-20 rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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Selected 30th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2019 draft, Porter was traded to the Cavs and sat out the beginning of the 2020-21 season following an investigation of a single-car crash.

Porter is entering his fourth season with the Rockets after being traded from Cleveland in January 2021, partly because he incited an outburst in the locker room with team officials.

Porter was second on the Rockets in scoring last season with a career-high average of 19.2 points per game while averaging a team-best 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds.

Cover photo: CARMEN MANDATO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

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