Porzingis Puts Health Scare Behind Him
When the Hawks acquired Porziņģis, they knew the health-related risks. The star center suffered from a mysterious illness toward the end of the 2024-25 season, which impacted his conditioning in the playoffs just a few months ago. However, both he and Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh expressed zero doubt regarding the big man’s health ahead of training camp.
Saleh: "We're super confident in Kristaps' health."
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) September 26, 2025
On Media Day, Porziņģis gave reporters more details about how he felt EuroBasket helped his conditioning.
“It was good for me to have EuroBasket this summer just to get back in shape … Getting my lungs and everything good again was super important … I feel fantastic right now.”
He certainly showed no signs of the mysterious illness in the Round of 16 when he dropped 34 points and 19 rebounds against Lithuania. In fact, he confidently said it felt like he “had the gas tank again” on Media Day. He’ll need it, as the Hawks’ fast-paced, motion offense is in stark contrast to the Boston Celtics’ halfcourt-focused, 3-point barrage.
