Image Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Kristaps Porzingis Gets Honest on His Boston Celtics Tenure, Reveals What Could be Different About Atlanta Hawks!

Kristaps Porzingis was traded to the Hawks in part of a three-team deal.

Image Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Kristaps Porzingis opened up on his tenure with the Boston Celtics, while revealing his expectations from the Atlanta Hawks. The big man talked about his expectations from the Hawks, as well as admitting that his tenure with the 18-time NBA champions could have been a bust. Last month, Porzingis was traded to the Hawks in part of a three-team deal that gave the Nets one of their five rookies in the 2025 Draft.

He spent two years with the Boston Celtics, and in his first year, he won his first championship. However, Porzingis wasn’t exactly a key contributor in their title run in 2024. He played only seven games with four starts and ended up suffering a calf and ankle injury, which automatically limited his availability. Talking about both the teams, he said, “I think expectations are high. Atlanta’s been on the edge of the playoffs the last few years, sometimes getting through the first round.”

The 2018 NBA All-Star added, “It’s a great situation for me to come in and contribute. Maybe even better than Boston, where it was championship or bust.” The Hawks are not favorites to win the title, and Porzingis will get more freedom to contribute without the additional pressure of winning a title.

Kristaps Porzingis Shares Health Update Following Playoffs Illness

Porzingis shared an update on his health after he missed nearly all of the postseason with a mysterious illness. The 29-year-old earlier talked about his health during the Eastern Conference Semifinals, leaving fans worried. He said, “I’m just not feeling my best. I’m not feeling my best at all. It kills me inside that it’s happening in this moment.” However, it seems that he worked on his health during the offseason and recently talked about it with Sports Studija.

He said, “I feel fantastic, to be honest. I took time to rest after the season. Something was lingering during the playoffs. I had fatigue, dizziness, even moments where I felt like I might faint. It wasn’t great. In June, I fully rested and lowered the intensity. All of that has gone away. I haven’t felt any of the playoff symptoms anymore. I feel great and ready to join the national team. Super happy.”

Porzingis is likely to join the Latvian national team in Eurobasket, which seems like a perfect opportunity for him to get back on the court and gear up for the upcoming NBA season, this time in new colors.

Kristaps Porzingis

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.