Kristaps Porzingis To Miss 2023 FIBA World Cup With Foot Injury

Kristaps Porzingis To Miss 2023 FIBA World Cup With Foot Injury

Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis announced Tuesday that he will be missing the upcoming 2023 FIBA World Cup. which is scheduled to begin on Aug. 25, due to plantar fasciitis.

“It is difficult, I feel very responsible to myself and the supporters of the Latvian national team, but a decision has been made that I will not play in the World Cup,” Porzingis wrote on Twitter in Latvian. “After several weeks of recovery and a repeat MRI examination, the plantar fasciitis of my foot still prevents me from being on the field in full readiness.

“This joint decision has been made by both the medical staff and coaching staff of the national team, as well as the Celtics team – with the advice and opinion that it is now necessary to continue the recovery process. Such a decision is not easy to make, but I promise that I will be there and support the team as much as I can.

“Our land – Latvia!“

Ir grūti, es jūtos ļoti atbildīgs savu un Latvijas valstsvienības atbalstītāju priekšā, taču ir pieņemts lēmums, ka es nespēlēšu Pasaules kausā.

Pēc vairāku nedēļu atlabšanas procesa un atkārtota MRI izmeklējuma, vēl joprojām pēdas plantārais fascīts man neļauj atrasties uz… pic.twitter.com/mvyk4Dj8lU

— Kristaps Porzingis (@kporzee) August 15, 2023

There is no scheduled timetable for return for the 7-foot-3 big, who has an unfortunate history of lower body injuries–most notably tearing his ACL in 2017-18 with the New York Knicks and tearing his meniscus in Game 1 of the Bubble postseason in 2019-20 with the Dallas Mavericks.

Porzingis was traded to the Boston Celtics earlier this offseason in a three-team deal that sent lifelong Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, two years removed from winning defensive player of the year, to the Memphis Grizzlies and Tyus Jones to the Washington Wizards. Porzingis later inked a two-year, $60 million extension with Boston through the 2025-26 season.

Kristaps Porzingis ready to give Celtics ‘high-level years’

The 28-year-old is coming off a career season with Washington, where he averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, shooting 49.8 percent from the floor, 38.5 percent from 3-point range and 85.1 percent from the free-throw line in 65 games. Kristaps Porzingis also sported a 62.7 true-shooting percentage with a 23.1 PER, the second-highest mark of his career.

NBA Training camp begins leaguewide on Oct. 3 while the 2023-24 regular season tips off on Oct. 24.

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