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 Boston Celtics in the NBA. Standing at 7'2", he plays both power forward and center positions. Known as "The Unicorn" due to his unique skill set as a big man, including his ability to shoot three-pointers, Porziņģis is a notable figure in professional basketball.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

2000: Consecutive 30-point, five-block games

Three days later, that season-high was surpassed with a 38-point, 12-rebound performance in a 112–103 victory over the Indiana Pacers. On 5 February, Porziņģis followed that up with 32 points and 12 rebounds in a 121–107 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, before leaving the game with a broken nose. On 1 March, Porziņģis matched his then season-high 38 points, along with 14 rebounds and five blocks, in a 111–91 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Three days later, he had 34 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks in a 127–123 overtime victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, becoming the first player since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 to have consecutive 30-point, five-block games.

2009: Southwest division clinch

In 2021, The Mavericks clinched the Southwest division for the first time since the 2009–10 season following a 110–90 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on 7 May.

2010: Tryout and Contract with Baloncesto Sevilla

In the summer of 2010, Kristaps Porziņģis had a tryout with Baloncesto Sevilla in Spain and received a contract, leading him to sign with the club.

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 10 rebounds. Sevilla was defeated 56–75.

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 in a loss to CB Murcia.

2012: Professional Career Begins with Sevilla

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

January 2013: EuroCup Debut with Sevilla

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

November 2013: Led Sevilla to Victory against Laboral Kutxa

On November 2, 2013, Kristaps Porziņģis led Sevilla to a 20-point victory against the EuroLeague team Laboral Kutxa, scoring 12 points, six rebounds, and four blocks.

2013: Figurehead of Sevilla Senior Team

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

2013: FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Selection

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

2013: Second Year with Sevilla Junior Team

In early January 2013, Kristaps Porziņģis represented the Sevilla junior team at a tournament. He finished with an average of 16.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks, shooting .481 on three-pointers. This was his final stint in the youth categories of Sevilla.

April 2014: Career-High 20 Points vs Real Madrid

On April 6, 2014, Kristaps Porziņģis scored a career-high 20 points against Real Madrid, making two three-pointers, and began to trend on social media.

October 2014: Liga ACB Season Debut

On October 4, 2014, Kristaps Porziņģis made his season debut in the Liga ACB against CB 1939 Canarias, scoring three points.

2014: Declared Eligible for NBA Draft (Withdrew)

In April 2014, Kristaps Porziņģis declared himself eligible for the NBA draft but withdrew shortly before the event, citing a need for further development.

February 2015: Season-High 19 Points vs Turów Zgorzelec

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, after gaining a season more of experience in Europe.

June 2015: Drafted by 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, becoming 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.

2015: Alexander Zhigulin Entered NBA Draft

In 2015, Alexander Zhigulin, who led the opposing team during Kristaps Porziņģis' debut for the Sevilla youth squad, entered the NBA draft and withdrew.

2015: NBA Debut Season

In the 2015-16 season, Kristaps Porziņģis played 72 games for the Knicks, averaging 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.9 blocks per game.

2015: Planned NBA Draft Entry

Kristaps Porziņģis's agent indicated that he wanted to develop his skills until the 2015 draft.

February 2016: Rising Stars Challenge

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

October 2016: Adidas Shoe Deal

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

November 2016: Career-High Against Pistons

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

January 2017: Porziņģis Comes off the Bench

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. He scored 15 points in a 113–110 loss to the Washington Wizards.

October 2017: Career-High Against Nuggets

In October 2017, Porziņģis had 31 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Later in October 2017, he scored a then career-high 38 points in a victory over the Denver Nuggets.

2017: EuroBasket 2017 Performance

In 2017, Porziņģis played for Latvia at EuroBasket 2017, averaging 23.6 points (ranked third), 5.9 rebounds (ranked 19th) and 1.9 blocks (ranked first) per game. Latvia was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Slovenia, with Porziņģis scoring a tournament-high 34 points in that game.

January 2018: Named Eastern Conference All-Star Reserve

In January 2018, Kristaps Porziņģis was named an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve, marking a significant milestone in his NBA career.

January 2018: High Shot Attempts

In January 2018, Porziņģis averaged 19 shot attempts per game for the Knicks, which was one of the most ever by a player his size.

October 2018: Knicks Decline Rookie Extension

In October 2018, the Knicks chose not to sign Porziņģis to a rookie extension, providing New York with an additional $10 million in cap space for 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 the Dallas Mavericks

On January 31, 2019, Kristaps Porziņģis, along with Trey Burke, Courtney Lee, and Tim Hardaway Jr., was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. The Knicks received DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr., a 2021 first-round draft pick, and a 2023 first-round draft pick in return.

October 2019: Mavericks Debut

On October 23, 2019, Kristaps Porziņģis debuted for the Dallas Mavericks, recording 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 Knicks' front office.

January 2020: Season-High Points

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

January 2021: Season Debut

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

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 Hired

Following the 2021 playoffs, the Mavericks parted ways with Rick Carlisle. Jason Kidd was hired as the team's new head coach, marking Porziņģis' sixth head coach in seven NBA seasons.

2021: Draft Pick

On January 31, 2019, Kristaps Porziņģis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, with the Knicks receiving an unprotected 2021 first-round draft pick in return.

January 2022: Season-High Blocks

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

February 2022: Traded to the Washington Wizards

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

August 2022: Return to National Team

In August 2022, Porziņģis returned to the national team for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers. In two games, he averaged 25.5 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game. Against Turkey, Porziņģis scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

November 2022: Double-Double Against Jazz

On 12 November 2022, 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 playing for the Dallas Mavericks.

January 2023: NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week

On 2 January 2023, 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 the Boston Celtics

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

October 2023: Celtics Debut

On 25 October 2023, Kristaps Porziņģis debuted for the Boston Celtics against the New York Knicks, recording 30 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks. This marked the most points scored in a Celtics debut.

2023: Trade to Boston Celtics

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

2023: FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers

In August 2022, 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: Draft Pick

On January 31, 2019, Kristaps Porziņģis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, with the Knicks receiving an additional top-ten protected 2023 first round draft pick in return.

November 2024: Season Debut

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

2024: NBA Championship with Celtics

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

2024: Future Draft Pick

On 23 June 2023, The Celtics also received a top-four-protected 2024 first-round pick (via Golden State Warriors) from the Grizzlies as part of a three-team deal.