Latvian basketball player Kristaps Porziņģis, who goes by the nickname “The Unicorn”, stands at 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) and currently plays for the Boston Celtics in the NBA. He is skilled in both the power forward and center positions.
Kristaps Porzingis Bio Details
Full name: Kristaps Porziņģis
Place of birth: Liepāja, Latvia
Date of birth: 2 August 1995
Age: 29 years old (2024)
Height: 7 ft 3 in (221 cm)
Weight: 240 lbs (109 kg)
Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Light brown
Nationality: Latvian
Zodiac sign: Leo
Gender: Male
Sexual orientation: Straight
Parents: Ingrīda Porziņģe, Talis Porzingis
Siblings: Jānis Porziņģis, Mārtiņš Porziņģis
Profession: Latvian professional basketball player
Early Life
Kristaps Porziņģis was born in Liepāja, Latvia on August 2, 1995, to Tālis and Ingrīda, both of whom were former basketball players. As a result of their influence, he developed an interest in basketball at the young age of six.
At the age of 12, Porziņģis started attending off-season training sessions with his older brother Jānis, who was a professional basketball player in Europe.
After participating in the youth tournament with BK Liepājas Lauvas until he was 15, he was invited for a trial by the Baloncesto Sevilla club. In 2010, he signed a contract with them. Porziņģis played his first match with the Sevilla youth team in January 2012, facing Barcelona.
In the 2012-13 season, Kristaps Porziņģis joined Sevilla’s senior team and played his first game. He scored a season-best of seven points in a match against Bilbao Basket in May.
In his second season, Porziņģis had an even better performance, helping Sevilla win by 20 points in an ACB game against Laboral Kutxa. He also achieved a new personal record of 12 points, six rebounds, and four blocks.
During a match against Real Madrid in November, he beat his previous record. Then, in April 2014, he surpassed his own record with a score of 20 points. This accomplishment led to Porziņģis being selected for the ACB All-Young Players Team in May.
Kristaps Porziņģis made his Liga ACB debut in October 2014 and soon after, made his debut in the EuroCup. Throughout the season, he had a notable game against Pallacanestro Virtus Roma, scoring 18 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing out four assists.
In February 2015, he achieved his season-high of 19 points against Turów Zgorzelec and then matched this total in a game against Bàsquet Manresa. As a result of his impressive performance, Porziņģis was awarded the EuroCup Rising Star Award.
NBA Career
In 2015, Kristaps Porziņģis joined the NBA draft and was chosen as the fourth pick by the New York Knicks. He then made his first appearance in the NBA during a victorious game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Kristaps Porziņģis maintained his impressive performance, earning the title of Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for his October and November games. He further solidified his success by receiving recognition for his performances in December and January.
Finishing second in the NBA Rookie of the Year Award voting, Porziņģis also received the prestigious NBA All-Rookie First Team distinction.
Porziņģis began to establish himself as a prominent figure in the NBA during the 2016-17 season. He achieved a personal best of 35 points in November, leading his team to a win against the Detroit Pistons. In addition, he claimed victory in the Skills Challenge at the 2017 All-Star Weekend.
In the next season, Kristaps Porziņģis once again demonstrated his prowess by scoring 38 points and then surpassing that achievement with 40 points in a victory against the Indiana Pacers. Unfortunately, his progress was halted by an ACL injury in February 2018, forcing him to sit out the rest of the season.
In January 2019, Porziņģis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He made his debut in October, scoring 23 points and grabbing four rebounds in a win over the Wizards.
Kristaps Porziņģis had a great run in the following months, consistently breaking his season-high scoring records in February and March. After an overtime win against the Pelicans, he became the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 to have consecutive 30-point, five-block games.
He made his NBA playoff debut in August against the Clippers. But after scoring 14 points and getting six rebounds, he was kicked out of the third quarter for fighting with Marcus Morris. Kristaps Porziņģis played in Games 2 and 3 but missed the rest of the series due to a knee injury. The Mavericks eventually lost in six games.
On June 23, 2023, the Wizards traded Kristaps Porziņģis to the Boston Celtics in a three-team deal. Marcus Smart went to the Memphis Grizzlies, and Tyus Jones went to Washington. Boston also got a 2023 first-round pick and a top-four-protected 2024 first-round pick from the Grizzlies.
Washington got Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and Boston’s 2023 second-round pick. Porziņģis chose to wear number 8 because his usual number 6 was retired for Bill Russell.
Net Worth
Latvian basketball star Kristaps Porzingis has a net worth of $30 million. He was a member of the New York Knicks from 2015 to 2019, before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. In his initial three years in the NBA, he had an average of 17.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
