NEW YORK (WPIX) — An NBA player has been accused of strangling his girlfriend at a Manhattan hotel Monday morning, according to police.
Bryan Kevin Porter Jr., 23, allegedly put his hands around the 26-year-old woman’s neck and hit her several times inside the Millennium Hilton Hotel on UN Plaza at around 6:45 a.m., according to the NYPD.
The woman had cuts to her face and pain in her neck, police said.
The Houston Rockets guard was arrested and charged with assault and strangulation, according to police.
He remained in police custody as of Monday afternoon. It wasn’t immediately known if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. A message seeking comment was left for his agent.
Additional details weren’t immediately available.
In a statement, the Rockets said: “We are in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter involving Kevin Porter Jr. We have no further comment at this time.”
Porter, a 2019 first-round draft pick, has played four seasons in the NBA. Last year, as he averaged 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, he signed a lucrative four-year extension with the Rockets.
Porter’s career, though, has been marred by off-court issues.
In November 2020, while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Porter was arrested after police said they found a loaded handgun and marijuana in his car after a single-vehicle crash. Porter claimed he didn’t know the gun was there, and his charges were eventually dismissed.
The Cavaliers traded Porter to the Rockets a few months later after he reportedly blew up at the team’s general manager after finding out that his locker had been moved to make room for a newly acquired player.
In April 2021, the NBA fined Porter $50,000 for violating the league’s COVID-19 health and safety rules by visiting a Miami strip club. In January 2022, the Rockets suspended Porter for a game after then-coach Stephen Silas said the player had a “spirited debate” and “lost his temper” at halftime.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.