Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Kristaps Porziņģis

Discover the career path of Kristaps Porziņģis, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Kristaps Porziņģis is a Latvian professional basketball player currently playing for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA. Standing at 7'2", he plays both power forward and center positions. He is known as "the Unicorn" due to his unique skillset as a big man, combining inside play with three-point shooting and overall versatility. His height and diverse offensive abilities make him a difficult matchup for opponents.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

2009: Clinched Southwest Division

On May 7, 2021, the Mavericks clinched the Southwest division for the first time since the 2009–10 season.

2010: Tryout with Baloncesto Sevilla

In 2010, Baloncesto Sevilla called Kristaps Porziņģis for a tryout in an attempt to recruit foreign talent. He was 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and weighed 157 lb (71 kg) at the time and received a contract in the summer.

January 2012: Debut for Sevilla Youth Squad

On January 4, 2012, Kristaps Porziņģis debuted for the Sevilla youth squad against Barcelona, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the Ciutat de L'Hospitalet tournament.

September 2012: First Team Appearance with Sevilla

On September 29, 2012, Kristaps Porziņģis made his first appearance with Sevilla's first team, playing for only a minute against CB Murcia.

2012: Professional Career Begins with Sevilla

In 2012, Kristaps Porziņģis began his professional basketball career with Sevilla.

January 2013: EuroCup Debut

On January 16, 2013, Kristaps Porziņģis played four minutes against Spartak Saint Petersburg in the EuroCup, contributing a rebound and an assist.

November 2013: Strong Performance Against Laboral Kutxa

On November 2, 2013, Kristaps Porziņģis had a strong game against the EuroLeague team Laboral Kutxa, leading Sevilla to a victory with 12 points, six rebounds, and four blocks. On 30 November 2013, Porziņģis broke his scoring record once more against Real Madrid.

2013: Became Figurehead of Sevilla senior team

By 2013, Kristaps Porziņģis had quickly risen through the youth ranks and became the figurehead of Sevilla's senior team.

2013: Selected for FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship All-Tournament Team

In 2013, Kristaps Porziņģis, playing with the Latvian youth team, was selected in the 2013 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship All-Tournament Team.

2013: Continued with Sevilla Junior Team

In early 2013, Kristaps Porziņģis represented the Sevilla junior team at the Ciutat de L'Hospitalet tournament. He averaged 16.6 points.

April 2014: Career-High 20 Points Against Real Madrid

On April 6, 2014, Kristaps Porziņģis scored a career-high 20 points against Real Madrid, making two three-pointers. His performance trended on social media.

May 2014: Selected for ACB All-Young Players Team

In May 2014, Kristaps Porziņģis was selected for the ACB All-Young Players Team of the 2013–14 season. On 25 May, he played against Justin Doellman of Barcelona.

October 2014: Season Debut in Liga ACB

On October 4, 2014, Kristaps Porziņģis made his season debut in the Liga ACB against CB 1939 Canarias, scoring three points. On 15 October, Porziņģis made his first appearance at the 2014–15 EuroCup against EWE Baskets Oldenburg and scored two points.

2014: Declared for NBA Draft

In April 2014, Kristaps Porziņģis declared himself eligible for the 2014 NBA draft and drew interest from several teams. However, he withdrew his name shortly before the draft.

February 2015: Season-High 19 points

On February 11, 2015, Kristaps Porziņģis scored a season-high 19 points against Turów Zgorzelec in the EuroCup.

April 2015: Entered the 2015 NBA draft

On April 16, 2015, Kristaps Porziņģis entered the 2015 NBA draft.

June 2015: Drafted by the New York Knicks

On June 25, 2015, Kristaps Porziņģis was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. He became the highest drafted Latvian and Baltic player in NBA history.

July 2015: Signed with the Knicks

On July 30, 2015, Kristaps Porziņģis signed his rookie-scale contract with the New York Knicks.

December 2015: Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month

In December 2015, Kristaps Porziņģis was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for October and November. He also claimed the award for December and January.

2015: NBA Draft

In 2015 Alexander Zhigulin entered the NBA draft and withdraw.

2015: Played for the Knicks

In 2015, Kristaps Porziņģis appeared in 72 of the Knicks' 82 games.

2015: Planning to develop skills until the 2015 draft

In 2015, Kristaps Porziņģis wanted to develop his skills until the 2015 draft.

2015: EuroCup Basketball Rising Star Award

In 2015, at the age of 19, Kristaps Porziņģis won the EuroCup Basketball Rising Star award, becoming the youngest recipient of the award.

February 2016: Rising Stars Challenge

On February 12, 2016, Kristaps Porziņģis scored 30 points for Team World in the Rising Stars Challenge.

October 2016: Signed Shoe Deal with Adidas

In October 2016, Kristaps Porziņģis signed a shoe deal with Adidas, which was the most lucrative deal for a European player. He switched to Adidas after partnering with Nike for his rookie season.

November 2016: Career-High 35 Points

In November 2016, Kristaps Porziņģis scored a then career-high 35 points in a 105–102 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

January 2017: Returning from Injury

In January 2017, Kristaps Porziņģis came off the bench for the first time in his NBA career after returning from a four-game absence due to a sore left Achilles tendon, subsequently scoring 15 points in a 113–110 loss to the Washington Wizards.

October 2017: 38 point career high

In October 2017, Kristaps Porziņģis scored a then career-high 38 points in a 116–110 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

2017: EuroBasket 2017 Performance

In 2017, Kristaps Porziņģis played for Latvia at EuroBasket 2017. He averaged 23.6 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game, and 1.9 blocks per game. Latvia was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Slovenia, with Porziņģis scoring a tournament-high 34 points against Slovenia.

January 2018: High Shot Attempts for the Knicks

In January 2018, Kristaps Porziņģis averaged 19 shot attempts per game for the Knicks, a high number for a player of his size.

January 2018: Named Eastern Conference All-Star Reserve

On January 23, 2018, Kristaps Porziņģis was named an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve, marking a significant career milestone.

October 2018: Knicks Declined Rookie Extension

In October 2018, the Knicks decided against signing Kristaps Porziņģis to a rookie extension, a move that gave New York an extra $10 million in cap space in the summer of 2019.

2018: NBA All-Star Selection

In 2018, Kristaps Porziņģis was selected as an All-Star while playing for the New York Knicks.

January 2019: Traded to Dallas Mavericks

On January 31, 2019, Kristaps Porziņģis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks along with Trey Burke, Courtney Lee, and Tim Hardaway Jr. in exchange for DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr., and draft picks.

October 2019: Mavericks Debut

On October 23, 2019, Kristaps Porziņģis debuted for the Mavericks, posting 23 points and four rebounds in a 108–100 win over the Washington Wizards.

2019: Trade to Dallas Mavericks

In 2019, Kristaps Porziņģis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks due to disagreements with the New York Knicks front office.

January 2020: Season-High 35 Points

On January 31, 2020, Kristaps Porziņģis scored a then season-high 35 points, along with 12 rebounds in a 128–121 loss to the Houston Rockets.

January 2021: Season Debut After Surgery

On January 13, 2021, Kristaps Porziņģis made his season debut against the Charlotte Hornets after recovering from surgery, scoring 16 points with a 21-minute restriction.

October 2021: Season Opening Loss

On October 21, 2021, Kristaps Porziņģis recorded 11 points, five rebounds, and two blocks during the season-opening 113–87 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

2021: New Head Coach

Following the 2021 playoffs, Jason Kidd was hired as the Mavericks' new head coach, marking Kristaps Porziņģis' sixth head coach in seven NBA seasons.

2021: Unprotected 2021 first-round draft pick

In January 2019, Kristaps Porziņģis was part of a trade package that included an unprotected 2021 first-round draft pick.

January 2022: Season High

During a 104–91 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 23 2022, Porziņģis recorded a season-high six blocks.

February 2022: Traded to Washington Wizards

On February 10, 2022, Kristaps Porziņģis was traded to the Washington Wizards along with a protected 2022 second-round pick in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and Dāvis Bertāns.

August 2022: Return to National Team

In August 2022, after a five-year absence, Kristaps Porziņģis returned to play for the Latvian national team in the August window of the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers.

November 2022: Double-Double Against Jazz

On November 12, 2022, Kristaps Porziņģis recorded a double-double with 31 points and 10 rebounds in a 121–112 victory over the Utah Jazz.

2022: Trade to Washington Wizards

In 2022, Kristaps Porziņģis was traded to the Washington Wizards after struggling with injuries and inconsistent play in Dallas.

January 2023: NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week

On January 2, 2023, Kristaps Porziņģis was named the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 11 (26 December – 1 January), his third career NBA Player of the Week award and first with the Wizards.

June 2023: Traded to Boston Celtics

On June 23, 2023, Kristaps Porziņģis was traded to the Boston Celtics as part of a three-team deal.

October 2023: Celtics Debut

On October 25, 2023, Kristaps Porziņģis made his Celtics debut, recording 30 points, eight rebounds and four blocks, including 15 points in the first quarter alone, in a 108–104 season-opening victory against the New York Knicks. His 30 points set the record for the most points scored in a debut in Celtics history.

2023: Trade to Boston Celtics

In 2023, Kristaps Porziņģis was traded to the Boston Celtics as part of the Wizards' rebuilding efforts.

2023: FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers

In August 2022, Kristaps Porziņģis returned to play for the national team in the August window of the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers.

2023: 2023 first-round draft pick

In January 2019, Kristaps Porziņģis was part of a trade package that included an top-ten protected 2023 first round draft pick.

November 2024: Season Debut

On November 25, 2024, after missing the first month of the season, Kristaps Porziņģis made his season debut against the Los Angeles Clippers, where he recorded 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in the 126–94 victory.

2024: NBA Championship with the Celtics

In 2024, Kristaps Porziņģis won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics.

June 2025: Three-Team Trade Agreement

On June 24, 2025, it was reported that the Celtics, Hawks, and Nets agreed to a three-team trade. The trade involved Kristaps Porziņģis being sent to the Hawks along with a second-round pick, Georges Niang and a second-round pick going to the Celtics, and Terance Mann and the 22nd pick in the 2025 NBA draft (used to select Drake Powell) being sent to the Nets.