Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porziņģis announced he was stepping away from basketball to prioritize his health due to an undisclosed matter in a social media post Friday.
Porziņģis did not reveal the nature of the problem in a post on his X account, and the 31-year-old did not say whether he would return to the game.
“I was really looking forward to running with this group, but as I accelerated, my body didn’t react the way I expected,” Porziņģis wrote.
“I’m doing well, but I know what it takes, and I’m not where I want to be to perform at the level I expect of myself,” he added. “At this point, I made the decision to prioritize my health and step away from the game I love.”
Selected fourth overall by the New York Knicks in the 2015 draft, Porziņģis was on his sixth team in 11 seasons.
The problem appears to date back to last season, when the Latvian missed significant time after being acquired by Golden State in a trade with Atlanta. The Warriors, however, fully expected Porziņģis to be ready for this season after signing him to a two-year, $40 million contract in late June.
Porziņģis’ status has been uncertain since late September, when the Warriors announced he would be out indefinitely due to a health issue and would not travel with the team to Hawaii for training camp.
On October 14, the team said Porziņģis would spend time with staff and teammates in some capacity while being out indefinitely after meeting with general manager Mike Dunleavy and vice president of player health and performance Dr. Rick Celebrini a day earlier.
A week later, the Warriors reversed course, saying Porziņģis would not be with the team for “the immediate future,” with coach Steve Kerr providing no further insight ahead of the team’s season opener at the Los Angeles Lakers.
In his message, Porziņģis said he intended to work with the Warriors to “find a solution that makes sense.”
He concluded his message by writing, “I’m grateful to my family and loved ones for always being there. Much gratitude to you all for your support. Onward and upward.”
Gn sports
