“Basketball was pretty stressful here, I’m not going to lie. But, it comes with the territory,” Kristaps Porzingis admitted, reflecting on his time with the Boston Celtics.
Since being traded by the Celtics in July, Porzingis has experienced quite a journey. After a brief stint with the Atlanta Hawks, he was traded again, this time to the Golden State Warriors. This move reunited him with Al Horford, who also left the Celtics during free agency.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr recently addressed and refuted a report regarding Porzingis’s medical status, ultimately issuing an apology for his earlier comments.
On Wednesday, Porzingis returned to TD Garden for the first time as a visiting player since his departure from Boston. “It felt both good and weird to be back in an opposing team’s colors,” he shared. He expressed how much he misses exploring the city, playing at TD Garden, and visiting some of his favorite local spots.
“There were a lot of small moments, even outside of basketball. Just being in the city, having my little spots to go for coffee, just overall, my life here in Boston I really enjoyed it,” Porzingis said.
He also noted that San Francisco reminds him of Boston because of its compact and walkable nature. The warm weather is an added bonus, alongside playing for the Warriors.
“Basketball was pretty stressful here, I’m not going to lie,” Porzingis said about his time in Boston. “But, it comes with the territory. We wanted to win it all and we did it. I would say the whole package was just special.”
Currently, Golden State stands two games under .500, fighting hard for a playoff spot. They’ve been without star Stephen Curry for weeks as the 36-year-old manages a nagging knee injury. For the 7-foot-2 center, it’s a new challenge in a new city.
When healthy, Porzingis has been effective on the court, averaging 17.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 34.5 percent from beyond the arc. However, he has missed all but 22 games so far this season.
“He’s an easy fit for sure with any team at that size with that kind of shooting touch,” said coach Kerr. “It doesn’t take a whole lot of strategy to get him to work with other players. He can set a screen and pop, and that puts a lot of stress on a defense, just that alone.
“Obviously you’d rather have someone from training camp and really be able to experiment. I think in the four or five games he’s played, we’ve been able to notice the nuances, different actions we might run, that sort of thing.”
Porzingis confirmed that he is now healthy and has played in three of the Warriors’ last four games.
“I’m getting a real good feeling about basketball again, which is the most important thing,” he stated. “Everything goes into second place when you’re not feeling perfect. It’s just natural to feel that way and now that I’m getting my legs back, getting into shape, it’s a good reminder why I love this.”
Approaching his 31st birthday in August, Porzingis was asked if he has considered retiring given his injury history. He missed 40 of the Celtics’ 82 regular-season games last year and appeared off his usual form during the playoffs while battling illness. Notably, the NBA requires players to participate in at least 65 games to be eligible for postseason awards, a threshold Porzingis has only reached three times in his ten-year career.
“I didn’t want to put those kind of ideas in my head,” Porzingis said. “Just in general, for life, I don’t want to be like 60 percent of my energy. I don’t want to live this way. I’ll find a way.”
“No matter what, I’ll figure out a way to feel how I need to feel, at least close to where I was, and I did. I’m recovering really well again and everything is back. I’m finally starting to feel like myself again and I’m happy.”
Looking ahead, Porzingis said he doesn’t plan on getting emotional when the Celtics honor him on the jumbotron during their upcoming game. Still, he admits that returning to the place where he won his first championship can stir feelings.
“Some good memories,” Porzingis said. “Good, good memories. Just thinking about it now I get a good feeling.”
