BOSTON — Kristaps Porzingis has been through it all in his nine years in the NBA. From being booed to being loved, hurt, demonized, embraced, hurt, humiliated, forgotten and then center stage in the NBA Finals, the journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster.
And it all started when Knicks fans heckled him on draft night in 2015. He used the moment as motivation to prove his critics wrong.
“I was a kid, naive and ready to take on the world,” Porzingis said in an interview with The Washington Post. “That was enough at that age. But now I’m a lot more mature, my mindset is different, and I’m in the perfect situation that I wanted all along: to play on the biggest stage in a championship game. Nothing else.”
Porzingis will be the center of attention again in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, a series that has seen much talk surrounding his health, his failure in Dallas and rumors of a feud with Luka Doncic. The center is returning from a 10-game absence due to a calf injury, and the consensus is that if he’s 100 percent, the Celtics are unstoppable.
Even without Porzingis, Boston would probably have an advantage against the Mavericks. With him? Boston’s frontcourt problems, its lone weakness in dominating the Eastern Conference, would theoretically be mitigated.
Let’s take a look.
Porzingis isn’t even sure what’s going to happen after sitting on the bench for more than five weeks.
“It’s going to be tough going into the final like this,” he said. “I’ve prepared as well as I can, so who knows what will happen.” [in Game 1]. “
Unfortunately, it’s not unusual for Porzingis to return from injury. He’s familiar with the process. His tenures in New York and Dallas were marred by illness and surgery. The difference in Boston is that he’s a complementary piece — the fourth or fifth best player — whose presence will only elevate the team, not drive it.
For a player who rose to prominence in New York City with the nickname “The Unicorn,” accepting the role took humility — and experience.
He’s watching on his phone now, watching Knicks fans celebrate on 33rd Street. In one imagined alternate universe, they would have been cheering for Porzingis. Instead, the hero is Porzingis’ former Mavericks teammate, Jalen Brunson, while the former Unicorn looks on in amusement.
“When the Knicks win a game, you see the video outside the arena and the people of New York going crazy,” Porzingis said. “That’s one of my favorite things to watch, you know?”
“It’s amazing to play there, compared to here. [in Boston]”There are two very strong fan bases, and I certainly know how much fun JB is having. It must be a special feeling for him to lead the team this far as a mainstay.”
Porzingis watched the tape this season as a bearded 28-year-old. As a Knicks player, he was baby-faced and hairy, with little muscle definition and a permanent scar on his shoulder. He’d battled boos on draft night. He’d battled the demons of a failed European draft. He’d battled a deeply dysfunctional organization. He’d battled immaturity. He’d weathered trade rumors and the feud between Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony.
Practicing for the NBA Finals. Peter Casey – USA TODAY Sports
By the time Porzingis was in his fourth season at MSG, coming off an All-Star appearance and ACL surgery, he was eager to get out, and the Knicks, with president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry negotiating behind closed doors, were prepared to let him go before he formally requested a trade in 2019.
By the way, Porzingis is totally right to ask to be moved. Some of his best years were marred by the Knicks’ turmoil. He went through four coaches in four years. The team sustained fantasies and delusions while losing 65 games. That was the season David Fizdale likened Lance Thomas to Draymond Green and Emmanuel Mudiay’s rim attack to Dwyane Wade’s.
But he also mishandled some of his frustrations — as he would admit today — and the Knicks pounced on every one of his mistakes to paint him as the villain at the Garden.
“It definitely helped me,” Porzingis said Wednesday. “You know, when everything’s going well, it’s easier. When things aren’t going smoothly, it’s harder. But those are the times you learn so much more. I wouldn’t trade any of the good or bad moments for anything. It’s shaped who I am today and prepared me for this moment.”
Porzingis has spoken about his time in New York and Dallas, the latter of which is now one of the most talked-about stories from the NBA Finals, and according to former Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons, Porzingis and Doncic “had a real feud.”
Both players denied it, but acknowledged they had been feeling unwell on the court.
“We weren’t perfect playing together, it just didn’t work out. And that’s it. We’ve moved on,” Porzingis said. “There’s no ill will on their part. And certainly not on my part. I don’t think there should be any ill will.”
It was another missed opportunity in Porzingis’ career. The next chapter, the NBA Finals, might tie it all together in a good way.
“I’ve been through a lot,” Porzingis said after a pause. “I’ve been through a lot in my career.”
