Kristaps Porzingis, a basketball forward-center for the Boston Celtics, is also the 2024 NBA Champion with the team. The Latvian professional was born in Liepaja on August 2, 1995. In his overall nine seasons with the NBA, he has played in 459 games, starting 458, averaging per game 19.7 points, 1.8 assists and 7.9 rebounds. He is also known as "The Unicorn," a nickname given by Kevin Durant in 2016 because he can shoot, block, and stands 7 feet tall. In 2012, he signed a contract with Sevilla to start his professional career, and the following year, he became their captain. He subsequently received the EuroCup Basketball Rising Star title in 2015; then, as a 19-year-old, he became the youngest-ever recipient of the honor.
Porzingis entered the 2015 NBA draft, and the New York Knicks selected him as the #4 overall pick. He was chosen as an All-Star in 2018 but was traded in 2019 to the Dallas Mavericks due to conflicts with the front office. Prior to being traded to the Washington Wizards in 2022, he battled injuries and had inconsistent play in Dallas. While in Washington, Porzingis recovered, but as part of the Wizards front office's plan to rebuild, he was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2023. In the 2023-24 season, he had a 51.6% field goal, a career-high, in 57 games. He also averaged 20.1 points, 2.0 assists and 7.2 rebounds.
Kristaps Porzingis’ Languages
According to CBS News, Porzingis speaks three languages: Latvian, English and Spanish. He claims that learning English in Latvia as a young man aided in his NBA transition. He learned Spanish after being recruited to play for Sevilla in Spain's ACB League.
Porzingis stated to Uproxx.com that the first season with Sevilla was hard for him due to a lack of communication, and that's the reason he began learning Spanish to be able to communicate with the team. However, he also said that by that time, his English was fluent in comparison to his teammates. He added that he learnt and began speaking Spanish in six months, though, at first, he was often made fun of due to his “Latvian accent speaking Spanish.” But then he got the hold of it with time and so improved to fluency.
FAQs on Kristaps Porzingis
A. Yes, Kristaps Porzingis speaks Spanish. He learned it during his time with Sevilla to communicate with the team.
A. Kristaps Porzingis, aka the Unicorn, has played in 459 games, starting 458, as of October 2024. He averaged per game 19.7 points, 1.8 assists and 7.9 rebounds.
A. Kristaps Porzingis is of Latvian nationality, being born and raised in Leipaja, Latvia.
A. Kristaps Porzingis was nicknamed "Unicorn" by Kevin Durant in 2016, as he considered Porzingis, a rare all-rounder.
A. Kristaps Porzingis stands 7 feet 2 inches or 218 cm tall.
