Kristaps Porzingis will be absent from Latvia’s debut in the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 as he continues to grapple with plantar fasciitis.
In an announcement via X on Wednesday, the 28-year-old stated that the decision was reached jointly with the national team’s medical and coaching staff, as well as his parent team, the Boston Celtics, following a recent MRI result.
Ir grūti, es jūtos ļoti atbildīgs savu un Latvijas valstsvienības atbalstītāju priekšā, taču ir pieņemts lēmums, ka es nespēlēšu Pasaules kausā.
Pēc vairāku nedēļu atlabšanas procesa un atkārtota MRI izmeklējuma, vēl joprojām pēdas plantārais fascīts man neļauj atrasties uz… pic.twitter.com/mvyk4Dj8lU
— Kristaps Porzingis (@kporzee) August 15, 2023
Porzingis had been slated to lead the Latvians in the August 25 to September 10 tournament, which will take place in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia, until this unfortunate development.
He was also among the prominent figures expected to participate in the World Cup, following an impressive personal performance during the last NBA season.
While with the Washington Wizards, the 7-foot-3 center averaged a career-best 23.2 points on 49.8-percent shooting from the field—another career high. He also averaged 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks across 65 games.
The fourth overall pick of the 2015 Draft was subsequently traded to the Celtics this offseason and agreed to a two-year, $60 million extension.
Now, he joins the ranks of other stars missing the global meet, such as NBA MVPs Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid; 2019 World Cup MVP Ricky Rubio; Domantas Sabonis; and Victor Wembanyama.
Porzingis’ absence will undoubtedly pose a challenge for Latvia, which is one of the four World Cup debutants along with South Sudan, Cape Verde, and Georgia.
The Latvian team is placed in Group H with Canada, Lebanon, and France. They are set to commence their campaign against Lebanon on the 25th at the Indonesia Arena.
