Boston Celtics fans weren't too happy after Kristaps Porzingis looked more like himself.
Celtics Fans Upset After Kristaps Porzingis’ EuroBasket Stats Surface originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Boston Celtics traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks to get under the NBA's second tax apron. Porzingis will make $30.7 million for the 2025-26 season, so swapping him for Georges Niang, who will make $8.2 million and was later traded to Utah, saved Boston plenty of money.
Porzingis helped the Celtics win the NBA title in 2024, despite his limited availability. He appeared in only seven of their 19 playoff games. In 2025, he played in more games in fewer rounds, but his effectiveness was limited because of an ongoing sickness.
He played in all 11 of their playoff games against the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks. In those 11 games, he averaged 7.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks while shooting 31.6% from the field and 15.4% from three.
While Porzingis was noticeably sick during the Celtics' playoff run, it appears he's moved past that. Porzingis has played for his home country, Latvia, during the EuroBasket tournament, where he played much more up to his standards.
The X account HawksMuse shared Porzingis' statline after Latvia beat Slovenia on Saturday. In 22 minutes, he puts up 20 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one block.
Kristaps Porzingis today in their win over Slovenia:
— HawksMuse (@HawkMuse) August 16, 2025
20 PTS
6 REBS
2 AST
1 BLK
All in 22 minutes. pic.twitter.com/c5xjGH0bO4
Celtics Fans Share Dismay After Kristaps Porzingis' EuroBasket Performance
Celtics fans weren't too happy to be reminded of what Porzingis can do when he's fully healthy on the floor.
"When he was healthy he was legit perfect for us man," one wrote.
"Can’t lie. It hurts," another stated.
"Miss my beautiful guy so much," one wrote.
Another echoed a similar sentiment, writing, "We gonna miss u KP."
One fan mocked Porzingis after his performance, writing, "I’m so happy he gained access to medicine that wasn’t available 3 months ago."
Porzingis proved how much better he could make the Celtics when he was on the floor, but he missed many games in the two years he played for Boston. In his first season as a Celtic, Porzingis missed 25 regular season games, in addition to the 12 games he missed in the playoffs.
After he suffered an ankle injury during the 2024 NBA Finals, Porzingis didn't make his regular-season debut for the Celtics until November 25, 2024. He went on to appear in 42 regular-season games overall.
With him gone, Luke Kornet leaving for San Antonio, and Al Horford presumably leaving, Boston now has Chris Boucher, Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman, and Luka Garza in their frontcourt.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
