"Unicorn" Kristaps Porzingis did not recover from injury, painfully bid farewell to the FIBA World Cup
"Unicorn" Kristaps Porzingis was a notable name in the NBA transfer market this past summer when he arrived at the Boston Celtics, promising to create a trio of superstars alongside Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
After the above deal was completed, Porzingis returned to Europe to join the Latvian team, where he and his teammates prepared for the 2023 FIBA World Cup finals starting on August 25.
However, bad news came when the 28-year-old bigman, 2m21 tall, suffered a knee injury, causing both the Latvian team and the Boston Celtics club to worry.
Now things have turned out to be the worst scenario when Kristaps Porzingis shared on his personal Twitter page that he will not be able to compete in the FIBA World Cup finals.
"It's very difficult, it hurts because I really want to fulfill my responsibilities with the Latvian national team, I want to make the team's fans proud, but I have to inform you that I will not be competing in the World Cup." , Porzingis posted.
“After weeks of trying to recover and lots of MRI scans to check, the plantar fasciitis still doesn't allow me to play at a fully comfortable level.
The decision to retire was made by consensus by many parties, including the Latvian national team medical team and the Boston Celtics side.
I am very sad and this is not an easy decision, but I promise to be with my teammates in the national team shirt, directly supporting the team spirit in the best way possible," Kristaps added.
Not long ago, "unicorn" Kristaps Porzingis was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Celtics in a tripartite trade that also brought Marcus Smart from Boston to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Porzingis' injury this time will bring a bit of concern to Boston because right after becoming a Celtics, the 2m21 tall bigman was immediately extended a 2-year contract worth $ 60 million.
It is not clear when the new Boston Celtics rookie suffered this heel injury, only that he is a player who is often haunted by the ghost of the injury.
Last season, Porzingis had some of the best stats of his career, averaging 23.2 points with 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. The efficiency in finishing of “KP” is also quite good with 49.8% FG and 38.5% 3PT.
