BOSTON– This latest six-game road trip is basically a condensed reunion tour for Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis. With stops in New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Dallas, Porzingis is hitting the town of every team he's been with across his decade in the NBA. But this latest stop in Boston, the city where he helped the Celtics win their first title in sixteen years, is the one where it might mean the most.
At the Warriors' morning shootaround, Porzingis spoke to the media about his time playing in Boston and all the good memories he had with the Celtics.
“It's good to be back,” Porzingis smiled. “It is a bit weird. I missed the city. I missed everything, as you're reading, of course. Honestly, it's good memories. You know, [it] came back a little bit, so it's weird, but it's a good feeling.”
Porzingis joined Boston by way of a trade with the Washington Wizards back in the summer of 2023, with the expectation that he could give the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown Celtics a boost to get over the hump. And with his size, defense, and shooting, Porzingis did precisely that.
He averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.9 blocks across 57 games in 2023-24. And while injuries sidelined him in the second and third rounds of the NBA Playoffs, Porzingis returned triumphantly in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, getting the TD Garden rocking when he scored 18 points off the bench in the first half.
But for all the basketball successes with the Celtics, what Porzingis remembers most about his time in Beane Town is the city itself.
“[I remember] a lot of the small moments, even outside the basketball,” Porzingis said. “Being in the city, having my little spots to go for coffee, just overall my life here in Boston, I really enjoyed it. Basketball was pretty stressful here. I'm not gonna lie, but it comes with the character. And we did it. So I'll say the whole package was special.”
Kristaps Porzingis after leaving Celtics
But while the memories in Boston will remain golden, it's been a bit of a rocky journey for Porzingis since leaving. Porzingis only played 42 games in the Celtics' title defense season, as injuries derailed his availability. And when the New York Knicks eliminated Boston in six games, with Tatum tearing his Achilles in the process, it signalled the end for that iteration of the Celtics, as salary cap trouble would prove too costly to run it back.
As such, the Celtics sent Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks, a sacrifice to avoid the penalties of the second apron. And in Atlanta, things would take a turn for the worse. Porzingis was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a chronic condition that made his time in Atlanta sparse. Porzingis would only play 17 games for the Hawks before the Warriors traded Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield for him.
And while Porzingis has gotten healthy as of late, collecting a season high 30-points in D.C. the other night, illness sidelined him for six games right after he joined the Warriors. So safe to say, it's been a rough season for the Latvian.
“This season has been pretty shitty,” Porzingis admitted. “But now I'm healthy now. Actually feeling good. So I'm getting a real good feeling about basketball again, you know? Which is the most important, because everything else kind of goes into second place when you're not feeling perfect.
“It's just natural to feel that way, and now, when I'm actually getting my legs back, getting in a good shape, it's a good reminder why I love this. Just enjoying playing here.”
Kristaps Porzingis's expectations from the Boston crowd
That POTS condition, along with illness, is why this season has been so frustrating for Porzingis. Consistently feeling low energy, constantly fatigued, random bouts of sickness, it's been a tough time for the big man.
But as for whether it made him question his career, Porzingis didn't want to go there.
“I didn't really want to put those kind of ideas in my head,” Porzingis explained.
“Just even in general, for life, I don't want to be at like 60% of my energy. I don't want to feel- I don't want to live this way. Eventually, I'll figure out a way. No matter what, I'll figure out a way how to feel how where I need to feel. At least close to where I was, you know? And I did, honestly. Now I'm recovering really well again. Everything's kind of back. So I'm finally starting to feel like myself again.”
Regardless, it will be a heartfelt return for Porzingis in Boston. He'll get the full red carpet. A tribute video, a standing ovation, high-fives and hugs from past teammates and coaches, the whole nine yards. But whether that'll make him emotional or not, Porzingis can't say.
“I don't know. But not in the middle of the game, like, I won't be crying then,” Porzingis laughed. “But for sure, good memories. Good, good memories. Honestly, just thinking about it now, I got a good feeling. Obviously loved my team here so much, and let's see how tonight goes.”
