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 primarily as a power forward and center. Known as "The Unicorn," Porziņģis is recognized for his unique combination of size and skill, particularly his ability to shoot three-pointers, a rare trait for players of his stature.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1939: Debut Against CB 1939 Canarias

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

1984: Knicks Record

In 1984, Bernard King opened the season with 298 points which was surpassed by Porziņģis who earned 300 points through 10 games, recording the best start to a season in Knicks history.

2009: Division Title

In the 2009–10 season, Mavericks clinched the Southwest division, following a 110–90 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on 7 May.

January 2012: Debut for Sevilla's Youth Squad

On January 4, 2012, Kristaps Porziņģis debuted for Sevilla's youth squad against Barcelona, scoring 12 points and 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 in a game where they lost to CB Murcia.

2012: Professional Career Begins

In 2012, Kristaps Porziņģis began his professional 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 performance against EuroLeague team Laboral Kutxa, leading Sevilla to a 20-point ACB victory with 12 points, six rebounds, and four blocks. He broke his scoring record again on November 30, 2013 against Real Madrid.

2013: Figurehead of Sevilla's Senior Team

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

2013: FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship All-Tournament Team 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: Final Stint in Sevilla's Youth Categories

In early 2013, Kristaps Porziņģis represented the Sevilla junior team at the Ciutat de L'Hospitalet tournament for a final time. During a game against Real Madrid's youth squad he scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. This was his final stint in the youth categories of Sevilla.

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, which led to him trending on social media.

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.

2014: Declared Eligible for 2014 NBA Draft

In April 2014, Kristaps Porziņģis declared himself eligible for the 2014 NBA draft, drawing interest from teams like the Orlando Magic and the Oklahoma City Thunder, but later withdrew his name before the draft.

February 2015: Season-High 19 Points Against 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 and was projected as a lottery pick and a potential top-five selection.

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, 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 played against Porziņģis in January 2012, entered and withdrew from the NBA draft.

2015: The first offseason Porziņģis was not recovering from injury

In 2015, Kristaps Porziņģis was not recovering from injury since entering the league.

2015: Latvian Rising Star of the Year

In 2015, Porziņģis was named the Latvian Rising Star of the Year.

2015: Expected to be a Top Draft Pick

In 2015, it was expected that if Porziņģis continued to develop his game, he could be a top-five pick.

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 made the switch to Adidas after partnering with Nike for his rookie season.

November 2016: Career-High 35 Points Against Pistons

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

January 2017: Coming off the bench for the first time in NBA career

In January 2017, 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: 38 Points Against Denver Nuggets

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, Porziņģis played for Latvia at EuroBasket 2017, where he averaged 23.6 points per game (ranked third), 5.9 rebounds per game (ranked 19th) and 1.9 blocks per game (ranked first). Latvia was eliminated in the quarterfinals by eventual champions Slovenia, losing 97–103. Against Slovenia, Porziņģis scored a tournament-high 34 points despite playing in foul trouble throughout the game. He scored 16 of his 34 points in the final period to help Latvia cut Slovenia's 13-point lead to two with two minutes remaining.

January 2018: Named Eastern Conference All-Star Reserve

In January 2018, Kristaps Porziņģis was named an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve following a strong performance through the midpoint of the season.

January 2018: Shot Attempts for the Knicks

In January 2018, Porziņģis averaged 19 shot attempts per game for the Knicks, one of the most ever by a player his size. The only players taller than 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) to average 15 field goal attempts per game were Ralph Sampson and Yao Ming.

October 2018: Knicks Decline Rookie Extension

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

2018: 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 was traded to the Dallas Mavericks alongside Trey Burke, Courtney Lee, and Tim Hardaway Jr. in exchange for DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr., an unprotected 2021 first-round draft pick, and an additional top-ten protected 2023 first round draft pick after a meeting where it was clear Porziņģis wanted to be traded.

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.

2019: Extra $10 million in cap space for New York

In 2019, the Knicks not signing Porziņģis to a rookie extension, a move that gave New York an extra $10 million in cap space.

January 2020: Season-High 35 points against Houston Rockets

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 Against Charlotte Hornets

On January 13, 2021, Kristaps Porziņģis made his season debut against the Charlotte Hornets, scoring 16 points while held to a 21-minute restriction.

October 2021: Season-Opening Loss to Atlanta Hawks

In October 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

In 2021, Mavericks parted ways with head coach Rick Carlisle, Jason Kidd was hired as the team's new head coach.

2021: First Round Draft Pick

In 2021, the Dallas Mavericks traded an unprotected first-round draft pick to the New York Knicks as part of a trade for Kristaps Porziņģis.

January 2022: Season-High Six Blocks

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

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, 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. In two games, he averaged 25.5 points per game, 14.0 rebounds per game, and 3.0 blocks per game.

November 2022: Recorded a double-double with 31 points

In November 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 being plagued by injuries and inconsistent play with the Dallas Mavericks.

January 2023: Named 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 from the Wizards to the Boston Celtics as part of a three-team deal. As part of the trade, Marcus Smart went to the Memphis Grizzlies and Tyus Jones went to Washington. Boston also received a 2023 first-round pick (pick No. 25) and a top-four-protected 2024 first-round pick (via Golden State Warriors) from the Grizzlies while Washington acquired Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and Boston's 2023 second-round pick (pick No. 35).

October 2023: Celtics Debut

On October 25, 2023, Kristaps Porziņģis made his Celtics debut, recording 30 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks 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 Washington Wizards' desire to rebuild.

2023: First Round Draft Pick

In 2023, the Dallas Mavericks traded an protected first-round draft pick to the New York Knicks as part of a trade for Kristaps Porziņģis.

2023: FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 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. In two games, he averaged 25.5 points per game, 14.0 rebounds per game, and 3.0 blocks per game.

November 2024: Season debut against the Los Angeles Clippers

After missing the first month of the season, Porziņģis made his season debut on November 25, 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 the Celtics

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

2024: First Round Pick

In 2024, the Memphis Grizzlies sent a top-four-protected first-round pick (via Golden State Warriors) to the Boston Celtics as part of a three-team deal.