NBA star Kevin Porter arrested on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend, sources say

NBA star Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested Monday in New York City and accused of assaulting a woman, police said.

Two senior law enforcement sources told NBC News the alleged victim was Porter’s girlfriend.

A spokesperson for the NYPD confirmed that the 23-year-old Houston Rockets guard was in custody and will be charged with assault and strangulation. The department, however, wouldn’t confirm the alleged victim is Porter’s girlfriend.

Police were called to the Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza at 6:45 a.m., police said. Once there, officers saw “a 26-year-old female with a laceration to the right side of her face,” police said.

A preliminary investigation determined an individual, later identified as Bryan Kevin Porter Jr., his legal name, “struck her multiple times about the body and placed his hands around her neck,” police said.

The woman was taken to an area hospital in stable condition, police said.

The woman was hospitalized with at least one broken bone and bruising, according to law enforcement sources.

The incident began after both Porter and his girlfriend had been out, the sources said. She later returned to the hotel room and he got locked out. That’s when the incident escalated and hotel security alerted police.

A representative of the Houston Rockets said Monday afternoon the team was gathering information about the matter and had no additional comment.

In October, Porter and the Rockets agreed to a four-year, $82.5 million contract extension.

Porter’s behavior has caught the attention of the league and teams in the past, including a food-throwing incident when he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and refusing to play in the second half of a game while on the Rockets.

Porter averaged about 19 points, five rebounds and nearly six assists per game last season for the Rockets.