SAN FRANCISCO– Kristaps Porzingis seems content with the Golden State Warriors, which bodes well for extending their future together.
With his health and well-being a lot more stable, after a mysterious bout of illness that cost him six straight games, Porzingis has been able to play on the hardwood much more consistently. And though he feels like his wind and his game still aren't where he wants them yet, Porzingis believes he's on the right track.
And a big part of that reason is thanks to the Warriors' medical staff, led by Vice President of Player Health and Performance, Rick Celebrini. After the Dubs' Thursday practice, Porzingis was asked what it's been like working with Celebrini and the medical staff, given that he's been able to play at a much more consistent rate as of late.
“Rick's amazing,” Porzingis smiled. “Rick is the GOAT, man. Really. I'm very happy with these guys, and I’m sure they will keep me on the same path.”
When asked a follow-up as to what makes Celebrini the “GOAT,” Porzingis joked that you don't always have to share the insights, but did describe the man in charge of managing the entire team's injuries and recoveries as “high-level.”
But whatever Celebrini is doing to keep Porzingis healthy, it's working. Porzingis has played in seven of the Warriors' last nine games. In that stretch, he averaged 17.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 22.5 minutes of action.
Asked Kristaps Porzingis how it’s been working with Rick Celebrini and the coaching staff and he said it plain and simple:
“Rick is amazing. Rick is the GOAT.”
Described him as “high-level”. Safe to say Porzingis feels great in Celebrini’s hands. pic.twitter.com/JSkiPJZYGm
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) March 26, 2026
What makes Rick Celebrini the GOAT?
While Porzingis didn't go in-depth as to why Celebrini is the “GOAT,” Warriors' guard Pat Spencer gave his reasoning.
“I second that,” Spencer said. “I had hip surgery a few years back. There's a level of communication. There's a humanity piece that he brings to the table.”
Spencer pointed to Celebrini's empathy for the players stemming from his sons being full of high-level athletes. Celebrini's son, Macklin Celebrini, is a rising star in hockey, helping Canada to the Silver Medal in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan this year.
“He gets it– the mentality of an athlete wanting to preserve their body. To make sure their body is well taken care of first,” Spencer explained.
“And he communicates with both sides. I think a lot of times you'll see guys get turned against the organization, because they feel like maybe they're targeting them. They want them to play whatever it might be. There's just an open communication with Rick that everybody, all parties, know where they stand. It's just a level of professionalism. And obviously, he knows exactly what he's doing.”
What does that mean for Porzingis and the Warriors?
Regardless, Porzingis's Celebrini GOAT description is a telling quote in the context of him and the Warriors' situation. With Porzingis set to become a free agent this summer, there are some big question marks about what he could command on the market and what the Warriors would be willing to pay to bring him back.
Porzingis's health history doesn't favor a huge payday. He's only played a combined 125 games between this season and the last two seasons.
However, the Warriors did trade Jonathan Kuminga in the hopes Porzingis could extend Stephen Curry's window of contention. And while the two have yet to share the floor, Porzingis's play gives a fluttering promise of how potent a Curry-Porzingis duo could look.
To let a piece as enticing as Porzingis walk for nothing but a little cap relief would kind of defeat the whole purpose of Golden State's team-building plan.
And that is what makes Porzingis's Celebrini GOAT quote significant. In just a short while, Porzingis already seems to trust Celebrini and the medical staff's ability to keep him healthy. And that trust in a medical staff could be extremely valuable for a player whose career has been plagued by injuries and illness.
Could that mean a small discount to stay with Celebrini? Potentially. It could also just mean Porzingis will favor the Warriors over other suitors. But maybe more importantly, the successes the Dubs' medical staff has had with Porzingis thus far signal that this thing can work. The team can keep Porzingis healthy enough to be a contributor.
So when the Warriors think about what to offer Porzingis this summer, they can lean on their trust in their medical staff to ease their minds about some of the risks.
