Shortly after helping the Boston Celtics win the 2024 NBA championship, big man Kristaps Porzingis underwent surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon. It’s an extremely rare injury, and Porzingis isn’t expected to return to the Celtics’ lineup until late in the calendar year.
Porzingis initially suffered a calf strain in Round 1 against the Miami Heat, but after returning in time for the NBA Finals, he re-injured it in Game 2. And the injury had nothing to do with his previous problem.
The big man has been working on his recovery this summer and judging by the photos he recently posted on his Instagram story, he seems to be doing well. (H/t Noa Dalzell from SB Nation)
Looks like Kristaps Porzingis is back in the gym pic.twitter.com/dbVK4N9q5B
– Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) 26 August 2024
Celtics assistant DJ MacLeay is working with Porzingis on his rehab, as he can be seen in the background of another photo the star posted.
During the 2024 Olympic Games Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe met with the Celtics’ President of Basketball Operations and talked to him about Porzingis. While Stevens admitted that Porzingis will have a long recovery process, praised his progress.
“He’s in Latvia. He’s starting to do more and more,” Stevens said. “He wore a boot for a while there, but everything indicates he’s making good progress and is on schedule. But it’s going to take a while.”
Boston signed Porzingis last summer and traded Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-way trade. He played a crucial role in the Celtics’ regular season and playoff run despite battling a number of injuries throughout the year.
When he was transferred to Boston, Porzingis signed a three-year contract extension, meaning he will be under contract with the Celtics until the 2025/26 season.
Although Porzingis’ injury history will be a concern going forward, Boston knew what they were getting into when they went after him. And it paid off in a big way, because He helped them bring Banner 18 home.
The Celtics will have to wait and see the first few months of the season while Porzingis is out, but it looks like he is on the road to a full recovery.
