Celtics issue update on Kristaps Porzingis
With ‘Banner 18’ officially theirs, and with the parade through the streets of Boston officially in their rearview mirror, the Celtics have shifted their focus to what’s next. Specifically when it comes to the health of center Kristaps Porzingis following an injury-interrupted playoff run for Boston.
Injured in the Green’s first-round series against the Heat, and then again in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Mavericks, the Celtics have once again confirmed that Porzingis will indeed need surgery, and have decided that Porzingis will not be well enough to play in the 2024 Olympics.
“Kristaps Porzingis suffered a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on June 9th. This injury always requires surgical repair,” the Celtics said in a statement. “Porzingis had hoped to delay surgery until after both the NBA Finals and Latvia’s Olympic campaign, but the injury doesn’t allow for consistent play at the level required for Olympic competition. Surgery will be performed in the coming days, and further updates will be provided when available.”
The update from the Celtics rules the 7-foot-2 out of playing for his home country of Latvia once again after a foot issue held him off the court during the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
In his first season in Boston, Porzingis gave the Celtics an undeniably different look in their frontcourt, and averaged 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 57 appearances.
The 28-year-old Porzingis also shot what was a career-best 51.6 percent from the floor, while the Celtics posted a 10-2 record whenever Porzingis scored at least 25 points.
Prior to this update, the initial word from the Celtics indicated that the surgery Porzingis will undergo will come with a recovery timeline of a couple months, and that Porzingis should be ready to go for the start of the club’s title defense in 2024-25.
