Kristaps Porzingis helped the Boston Celtics to NBA Championship number 18 but will now undergo surgery on an ankle problem.
Porzingis suffered a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in Game 2 against the Dallas Mavericks but returned in Game 5, playing 16 minutes as the Celtics won 106-88 to secure the pennant.
The 7ft 2in Latvian will now go under the knife and he told ESPN he expects to be out for “a few months”.
Porzingis always had it on his mind he was going to play in Game 5, especially with so much on the line.
He said: “Since last game, I’ve been thinking … ‘How can I get my body ready for the next game?’
“Like, no matter how it is. And today I was like, ‘I’m going to try everything possible to get out there.’
“So from this morning, I was preparing myself that I will go out there. And, yeah, the medical staff was … unbelievable support for me and got me back out there somehow. … I’m super thankful for them. … I gave everything I could.
“And, man, it feels great to be a champion.”
The moment it happened 🥹 pic.twitter.com/Lmdtek28Cz
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 18, 2024
Porzingis knew he could make the injury worse by playing on it, but felt it was a risk worth taking.
“Of course,” Porzingis added to ESPN. “I think something could have happened, for sure, especially compensating now on the other leg now, which I just came back from.
“There was definitely some added risk, but I didn’t care. I was like, ‘I want to give everything I can and then fix it after if I need to.’”
Although his end to the season with disrupted by injury, it has been a hugely successful first year in Boston for Porzingis, who averaged 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds during the regular season.
“I knew once I signed here this [winning the championship] was the goal, and everybody here had that vision, and man … We did it. It’s even hard to put into words right now,” he said.
“But it feels amazing to win a championship. I’m not going to lie.”
