Kristaps Porzingis is the newest member of the Celtics after Boston worked out a blockbuster trade with Washington and Memphis which sent Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies and Tyus Jones to the Wizards.
As it’s been happening lately in the NBA with star caliber rosters and trios, the Celtics believe their championship combination is Porzingis playing alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Now, with all the pressure for Kristaps Porzingis after the franchise let go a symbol like Marcus Smart, the star from Latvia is ready for his biggest challenge in the NBA.
Kristaps Porzingis’ first message to Celtics’ fans
During his first press conference as a member of the Celtics, Kristaps Porzingis was convinced that he won’t fail at Boston and guaranteed this is probably the best moment of his career at 27-years old.
“I think these are the best years for a basketball player. My body is maturing and getting to that age just helped. I believe I have some great, high-level years ahead of me. You are physically there, and mentally, you are getting to a different level. I think the work paid off for me.”
In a period of blockbuster moves in the league, Porzingis admitted the trade process was just crazy. “I was about to go to sleep and then I heard the news that the trade didn’t go through. So, that kept me up for a little bit longer. Then like at 4AM back home I was like: Ok, I’ll go to sleep and see what happens.”
Then, the surprising announcement arrived. “When I woke up in the morning, I saw that it happened. The trade had happened. I was just extremely excited and extremely happy.”
Of course, Porzingis admitted this a massive chance to play for one of the most important franchises in the NBA. “It’s an opportunity to play for a really good team and be able to add to that. I want to hopefully help these guys, make their life easier. Being on a high-level organization like Boston, a historic and iconic franchise, it just made it extremely easy for me to make that decision.”