Latvia is not considered a basketball powerhouse in Europe in the past couple of decades. However, with the emergence of Kristaps Porzingis as a bonafide star, the country’s fortunes have turned around in recent international tournaments, as he has been their go-to-guy, using his experience playing in the NBA, where he has showcased his talents since 2015.

With the 7-foot-3 big man currently injured, the Latvian National Team honored him in their recent FIBA World Cup Qualifying match, as they sported shirts with a Unicorn in it, as Porzingis has earned it as his nickname for having a unique skill set for a player with his height.

Kristaps Porzingis suffered an ACL tear back on February 6th, when the New York Knicks faced the Milwaukee Bucks. When he left Madison Square Garden, there was still some optimism left with the team and their fans that he may have just sprained his knee. It did not take long though to confirm the worst as the MRI results revealed that his ACL has been torn.

If there’s any good news for Porzingis at this point, there have been a number of players who have recovered from the same injury.

They have even returned stronger, and made a successful comeback in the NBA. With the advanced medical technology these days, coupled with Porzingis' burning desire to continue playing at the highest level, it's hard to count him out, and it would not be surprising to see him back on the court sooner rather than later for both the Knicks and Latvia.

Kristaps Porzingis
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The Knicks are sorely missing Porzingis and his team-leading 22.7 points and 2.4 blocks per game. His ability to pounce on mismatches plus his value in spacing the floor for New York are qualities that are hard to compensate, but the Knicks would rather have him healthy for next season.

During last year's FIBA Eurobasket tournament, Porzingis averaged 23.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists.