Prosecutors say Rockets' Kevin Porter Jr. fractured girlfriend's neck vertebra in attack

Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. has pleaded not guilty to felony domestic violence charges.

Porter, 23, was arrested for assault and strangulation on Monday after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, at the Millennium Hilton in Manhattan. Prosecutors say Porter fractured her neck vertebra and left her with a deep gash above her eye during the attack, which didn't end until a bloodied Gondrezick ran into the hallway, according to court documents obtained by The Associated Press.

“This is a serious domestic violence case,” said assistant Manhattan District Attorney Mirah Curzer.

Porter entered a not guilty plea during an arraignment in Manhattan on Tuesday and was released on $75,000 cash bail. He's due back in court on Oct. 16 and has been ordered to stay away from Gondrezick, the 4th overall pick in the 2021 WNBA draft.

ARREST: Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. arrested for allegedly assaulting woman at New York hotel

The NBA and Rockets said they are aware of the charges against Porter.

"We are aware of the reports regarding Kevin Porter Jr.," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. "The league office is in contact with the Houston Rockets and in the process of gathering more information."

The New York Police Department confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that Porter was arrested early Monday after a 26-year-old woman was hospitalized after he "struck her multiple times upon her body and placed his hands around the neck."

According to a criminal complaint obtained by The Associated Press, Porter struck Gondrezick repeatedly in the face with a closed fist, causing a laceration above her eye, and wrapped his hands around her neck, causing difficulty breathing, bruises and a fractured vertebra hospital tests later revealed. Curzer said this is not the first time Porter has assaulted Gondrezick, telling the court that he once rammed his vehicle into hers.

Porter's star had been on the rise

Before last season, Porter signed a four-year, $63.4 million extension that kicks in this season. Only the first year of the contract is fully guaranteed, according to Spotrac. Porter has played four NBA seasons, the past three with the Rockets where he has emerged as a starter who averaged a career-high 19.2 points in 59 games in 2022-23.

Porter and Gondrezick, who were pictured together at a New York Fashion Week event last week ahead of the alleged assault, started dating in February 2022, according to a social media anniversary post. Gondrezick is currently a free agent and last played in the WNBA in 2021 for the Indiana Fever.

Porter had conduct issues with pro, college teams

Porter was suspended indefinitely from the University of Southern California basketball team as a freshman in January 2019 because of an unspecified conduct issue. The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him No. 30 in 2019 and traded him to the Rockets during his rookie season following an outburst that included yelling and throwing food after his locker was moved and a confrontation with Cavs general manager Koby Altman.

While with the Cavs, Porter was arrested following a single-vehicle accident and charged with improperly handling a firearm in a vehicle, failure to control a vehicle, driving without a license and possession of marijuana. A grand jury declined to indict Porter on the gun charge, and the license and marijuana charges were dropped. He admitted fault for failure to control a vehicle.

Contributing: Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kevin Porter Jr. fractured girlfriend's neck vertebra, prosecutors say