Kristaps Porziņģis facts for kids

"Porzingis" redirects here. For his brother, see Jānis Porziņģis. For other uses, see Porziņģis.

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Quick facts for kids
Kristaps Porziņģis
No. 8 – Boston Celtics
Porziņģis with the Boston Celtics in 2024
Power forward / Center
Personal information
Born	(1995-08-02) 2 August 1995 (age 29) Liepāja, Latvia
Listed height	7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)
Listed weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2015 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall
Selected by the New York Knicks
Pro career	2012–present
League	NBA
Career history
2012–2015	Sevilla
2012–2013	→Sevilla B
2015–2019	New York Knicks
2019–2022	Dallas Mavericks
2022–2023	Washington Wizards
2023–present	Boston Celtics

Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (2024) NBA All-Star (2018) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2016) EuroCup Rising Star (2015) 2× ACB All-Young Players Team (2014, 2015) EuroBasket blocks leader (2017)

Kristaps Porziņģis (born August 2, 1995) is a professional basketball player from Latvia. He plays for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Kristaps is very tall, standing at 7 feet 2 inches. He plays as a power forward and center.

People call him "The Unicorn" because he is a unique player. He is tall like a center but can also shoot 3-pointers and make plays like a smaller player.

Kristaps started his career with Sevilla in Spain in 2012. He quickly became a top young player. In 2015, he won the EuroCup Basketball Rising Star award. He was the youngest player ever to win it at age 19. After that, he decided to join the NBA draft. The New York Knicks picked him fourth overall in 2015.

In New York, Kristaps became an All-Star in 2018. Later, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2019. He then played for the Washington Wizards in 2022. In 2023, he joined the Boston Celtics. With the Celtics, he helped his team win the 2024 NBA Finals championship!

Early Basketball Journey

Kristaps Porziņģis started playing basketball when he was six years old. His parents also played basketball. When he was 12, his older brother, Jānis, who was a professional player, helped him train. Kristaps played for youth teams in his hometown of Liepāja, Latvia.

When he was 15, a video of Kristaps was sent to teams in Spain and Italy. In 2010, a Spanish club called Baloncesto Sevilla invited him for a tryout. He was already 6 feet 8 inches tall. Kristaps signed a contract with them in the summer of 2010.

At first, Kristaps had some health issues. He also found it hard to learn Spanish in Seville. But he worked through these challenges. He slowly got better at the game.

Kristaps played his first game for Sevilla's youth team in 2012. He scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The next day, he scored 16 points. He kept improving and played well in youth tournaments. In 2013, he scored 24 points and had 11 rebounds in a game against Real Madrid's youth team. This was his last time playing for Sevilla's youth teams.

Professional Career Highlights

Playing for Sevilla (2012–2015)

First Seasons in Spain

In 2012, Kristaps joined Sevilla's main team. He played his first game on September 29, 2012. He only played for one minute. In January 2013, he played in the EuroCup for the first time. He scored his first points for the senior team in February.

In his second season, Kristaps started strong. On November 2, 2013, he scored 12 points and had 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. On April 6, 2014, he scored a career-high 20 points against Real Madrid. Even though his team lost, his performance got a lot of attention.

In May 2014, Kristaps was chosen for the ACB All-Young Players Team. This award recognizes the best young players in the Spanish league.

Considering the NBA Draft

In April 2014, Kristaps thought about joining the 2014 NBA draft. NBA teams like the Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder were interested in him. He was seen as a top young talent. However, Kristaps decided to wait. His agent said he wanted to get more experience before joining the NBA. Many people thought he could be a top-five pick in the 2015 draft.

Becoming a EuroCup Rising Star

Kristaps continued to shine in the 2014–15 season. He had a great game in the EuroCup against Pallacanestro Virtus Roma. He scored 18 points, had 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. In February 2015, he scored a season-high 19 points in another EuroCup game.

On April 15, 2015, Kristaps won the EuroCup Basketball Rising Star Award. This award goes to the best young player in the EuroCup. He was also named to the ACB All-Young Players Team again.

Joining the New York Knicks (2015–2019)

Kristaps Porziņģis during the 2015 NBA Summer League

On April 16, 2015, Kristaps officially entered the 2015 NBA draft. He was expected to be a top pick. Some people compared him to famous players like Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki.

On June 25, 2015, the New York Knicks picked Kristaps as the fourth overall pick. Some fans in New York booed him at first. But Kristaps promised to change their minds. He became the highest-drafted player ever from Latvia and the Baltic countries.

Rookie Season in the NBA

Kristaps Porziņģis playing in his third NBA game in 2015

Kristaps signed his first NBA contract on July 30, 2015. On October 28, he played his first NBA game. He scored 16 points and helped the Knicks win. On November 21, he had an amazing game with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 blocks. He was the first 20-year-old since Shaquille O'Neal to have such a game.

Kristaps was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November, December, and January. He played in the Rising Stars Challenge game for young players. He finished second in the NBA Rookie of the Year Award voting. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Growing as a Star

On November 16, 2016, Kristaps scored a career-high 35 points. On December 11, he had 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 blocks. In January 2017, he won the Skills Challenge during the All-Star Weekend.

In the 2017–18 season, Kristaps started strong. On October 30, he scored a career-high 38 points. On November 5, he set a new career-high with 40 points. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week. His strong play led to him being chosen as an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve on January 23, 2018.

However, on February 6, 2018, Kristaps suffered a serious knee injury. He tore his left ACL and missed the rest of the season.

Injury and Recovery

Kristaps missed the entire 2018–19 season while recovering from his knee injury. The Knicks decided not to sign him to a long-term contract extension at that time. This made him a restricted free agent in the summer of 2019.

Moving to the Dallas Mavericks (2019–2022)

On January 31, 2019, Kristaps was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He joined the team with Trey Burke, Courtney Lee, and Tim Hardaway Jr.. He continued to recover from his injury and did not play for the Mavericks in the 2018–19 season. On July 12, he signed a big five-year contract with the Mavericks.

Playoff Debut

Kristaps played his first game for the Mavericks on October 23, 2019. He scored 23 points in a win against the Washington Wizards. On January 31, 2020, he scored a season-high 35 points. Three days later, he scored 38 points.

He had a great stretch of games in March 2020. He scored 38 points and had 14 rebounds and 5 blocks against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was named Western Conference Player of the Week. On July 31, he scored a season-high 39 points in a game in the Orlando bubble.

On August 17, Kristaps made his NBA playoff debut. He scored 14 points against the Los Angeles Clippers. He played well in Game 2 and Game 3. However, he got another injury, a meniscus tear, and missed the rest of the series. The Mavericks lost in six games.

Challenges and Trades

Kristaps had surgery on his knee in October 2020. He missed the first nine games of the 2020-21 NBA season. He returned on January 13, 2021. On February 12, he scored a season-high 36 points. He also had a career-high 8 three-pointers.

The Mavericks made the playoffs again in 2021. But Kristaps' performance dropped in the playoffs. The Mavericks lost to the Los Angeles Clippers again. This led to rumors that he wanted to be traded.

In the 2021–22 season, Kristaps was healthy for the first time in an offseason. He started the season well. He scored a season-high 32 points on November 12. On December 27, he scored 34 points. He also had a season-high 6 blocks on January 23, 2022.

Playing for the Washington Wizards (2022–2023)

Kristaps Porziņģis playing against the Indiana Pacers in 2022

On February 10, 2022, Kristaps was traded to the Washington Wizards. He played his first game for the Wizards on March 6, scoring 25 points. On March 19, he helped the Wizards win a comeback game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored a season-high 35 points on March 30. The Wizards did not make the playoffs that season.

In the 2022–23 season, Kristaps continued to play well. On November 28, 2022, he scored a career-high 41 points. In the next game, he had 27 points and a career-high 19 rebounds. On January 2, 2023, he was named the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week. On March 8, he scored another career-high of 43 points. He averaged a career-high 23.2 points per game that season. However, the Wizards missed the playoffs again.

Winning a Championship with the Boston Celtics (2023–present)

First NBA Championship

On June 23, 2023, Kristaps was traded to the Boston Celtics. He chose to wear number 8 for the Celtics. His usual number 6 was retired for Bill Russell.

Kristaps made his Celtics debut on October 25, 2023. He scored 30 points, which was a record for a Celtics debut. On December 28, he scored a season-high 35 points. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week again.

The Celtics were the top team in the Eastern Conference and made the playoffs. Kristaps got a calf injury in Game 4 of the first round. He missed the next two series. The Celtics made it to the 2024 NBA Finals to play against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks.

Kristaps returned for Game 1 of the Finals on June 6. He scored 20 points, with 18 in the first half. In Game 2, he got a new injury in his left leg. Despite missing the next two games, Kristaps returned for Game 5 on June 17. He scored 5 points and helped the Celtics win their 18th NBA championship!

Recovery from Injury

On June 27, 2024, Kristaps had surgery for his leg injury. He is expected to be out for five to six months. This means he will miss the start of the 2024–25 NBA season.

He made his season debut on November 25, 2024, against the Los Angeles Clippers. He scored 16 points and helped the Celtics win.

Playing for His Home Country

Junior National Team

Kristaps played for the Latvian youth team. He was chosen for the All-Tournament Team at the 2013 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship.

Senior National Team

In 2017, Kristaps played for the Latvia national team in EuroBasket 2017. He was one of the top scorers and blockers in the tournament. He averaged 23.6 points and 1.9 blocks per game. Latvia lost to Slovenia in the quarterfinals. Kristaps scored 34 points in that game.

After five years, Kristaps returned to play for the national team in August 2022. He played in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers. In two games, he averaged 25.5 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks. He had 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks against Turkey. He also scored 29 points and had 14 rebounds against Great Britain.

Player Profile: The Unicorn

Kristaps Porziņģis is often compared to Dirk Nowitzki. Both players are very tall and can shoot from far away. They also both started their careers in Europe before joining the NBA.

Kevin Durant called Kristaps a basketball "unicorn." This nickname means he has a rare mix of size and skills. He is over 7 feet tall but can shoot, dribble, and pass like a smaller player. This makes him very hard to guard. He can shoot over most defenders because of his height.

Newer players like Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are also called "unicorns." They have similar unique skills for their size.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular Season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2015–16	New York	72	72	28.4	.421	.333	.838	7.3	1.3	.7	1.9	14.3
2016–17	New York	66	65	32.8	.450	.357	.786	7.2	1.5	.7	2.0	18.1
2017–18	New York	48	48	32.4	.439	.395	.793	6.6	1.2	.8	2.4	22.7
2019–20	Dallas	57	57	31.8	.427	.352	.799	9.5	1.8	.7	2.0	20.4
2020–21	Dallas	43	43	30.9	.476	.376	.855	8.9	1.6	.5	1.3	20.1
2021–22	Dallas	34	34	29.5	.451	.283	.865	7.7	2.0	.7	1.7	19.2
2021–22	Washington	17	17	28.2	.475	.367	.871	8.8	2.9	.7	1.5	22.1
2022–23	Washington	65	65	32.6	.498	.385	.851	8.4	2.7	.9	1.5	23.2
2023–24	Boston	57	57	29.6	.516	.375	.858	7.2	2.0	.7	1.9	20.1
Career		459	458	30.9	.459	.361	.831	7.9	1.8	.7	1.8	19.7

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2020	Dallas	3	3	31.5	.525	.529	.870	8.7	.7	.0	1.0	23.7
2021	Dallas	7	7	33.3	.472	.296	.842	5.4	1.3	1.3	.7	13.1
2024	Boston	7	4	23.5	.467	.345	.909	4.4	1.1	.7	1.6	12.3
Career		17	14	29.0	.483	.370	.875	5.6	1.1	.8	1.1	14.6

Europe

Liga ACB

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2012–13	Cajasol Sevilla	7	0	14.9	.500	.500	.667	.7	.0	.3	.1	2.6
2013–14	Cajasol Sevilla	32	32	14.9	.476	.333	.607	2.8	.3	.6	.9	6.7
2014–15	Baloncesto Sevilla	34	34	21.7	.471	.313	.774	4.8	.4	.9	1.0	10.7
Career		73	67	17.3	.474	.326	.730	3.5	.3	.7	.9	8.2

Personal Life

Kristaps Porziņģis in 2017

Kristaps' parents were both basketball players. His father, Tālis, played semi-professionally. His mother, Ingrīda, played for the Latvian youth national team. His older brother, Jānis, also played basketball professionally in Europe for over 10 years. His oldest brother, Mārtiņš, also loved playing.

Kristaps' parents shared that they had another son, Toms, who passed away when he was very young. His mother said that after Kristaps was born, it felt like he was living for two. This experience gave them strength and helped them keep going.

Jānis, Kristaps' older brother, has been a mentor to him. He often talked to Kristaps about his games and pushed him to work hard. They spent a lot of time discussing basketball. Jānis also helped Kristaps train in the summer.

After living in Spain for almost two years, Kristaps learned to speak Spanish very well. He can speak three languages: Latvian, Spanish, and English. In October 2016, Kristaps signed a big shoe deal with Adidas.

Kristaps is a big fan of soccer. He supports his hometown team FK Liepāja. He also likes Real Madrid and his former club Sevilla. Kristaps also enjoys playing the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

In 2015, Kristaps was named the Latvian Rising Star of the Year.

Images for kids

Kristaps Porziņģis playing in his third NBA game in 2015
Kristaps Porziņģis in 2020