Kristaps Porzingis delivers surprisingly lighthearted Jayson Tatum message

Wednesday night at TD Garden, Kristaps Porzingis played in his first game in Boston since the Celtics traded him over the summer. He received loud applause from the home crowd when PA announcer Eddie Palladino called his name last while introducing the starters for the Golden State Warriors.

And while the Latvian native was true to his word when he said at shootaround earlier in the day that he wouldn't cry during his tribute video, when it aired, it was clear that the montage and proceeding applause delivered an emotional punch.

"It was cool, man. I miss big fella," voiced Jayson Tatum after the Celtics' 120-99 victory vs. the Warriors. "Happy to see him healthy. Happy to see him out there playing. It was cool to see the reception that he got tonight and his tribute video.

"It wasn't that long ago, but those were some good times, and we had some good moments. He'll forever be a Celtic and remembered for those two years, and obviously, being a big piece of why we won a championship. So, it was cool, and every guy that's on that championship team, we [are] bonded for life. So, it's always good to see KP."

Kristaps Porzingis lighthearted Jayson Tatum message

Post-game also provided an opportunity for Porzingis to share what he saw from Jayson Tatum while sharing the court with him for the first time since the latter tore his Achilles tendon.

"He looks good, honestly. [His] shot was falling already. He looked like he's not rusty at all," said Porzingis, per CLNS Media. The C's former center then stated with a smile, he "just looked a little heavy. I told him he needs to lose a couple [of] pounds, and he'll be flying again."

When these two teams met in San Francisco, the tenth-year veteran shared that while he knew the talk about Boston finishing this season in the lottery would be off the mark, what the Celtics are doing is even exceeding his expectations.

"Like everybody, I thought, like, a little bit less expectations, not gonna be that good this year, dah, dah, dah. Like some of the most pessimistic ones were like, 'Ah, it's a lottery team.' I never thought that," said Porzingis. "Even in our years, also, whenever somebody was out, just, it's like the culture that they already have there, it's like, it's not gonna just disappear. Even if you maybe don't have the JT talent, but still, JB [is] there, leading the group, D. White, Payton, like these guys, these guys are elite players, so I knew they were going to be good. Maybe not, first, second seed, but yeah, I mean Joe and that crew is top."

And for as impressive as Tatum looks since returning, perhaps if he takes Porzingis's advice, it will help lead to Boston finishing a campaign spent defying those on the outside atop the NBA summit.

As for taking this opportunity to reflect on Porzingis's Celtics tenure, in his two years in Boston, when he was healthy, he excelled at both ends of the floor. Offensively, he punished mismatches and gave his teammates a seven-foot-two outlet who could knock down threes from well beyond the arc. Fans also fell in love with how much he enjoyed playing to the crowd. His WWE-style entrances and firing up the TD Garden faithful after his forehead busted open serve as prime examples.

The injuries and an illness that rendered him a shell of himself last postseason are the unfortunate part of the story when discussing Porzingis's two years with the Celtics. The latter sparked concerns, first and foremost, about his health, and secondly, the future of his career.

However, as Tatum stated, he helped them raise banner 18 to the TD Garden rafters. The team brought the former All-Star in to achieve a mission, and he helped them accomplish that. The reception he got Wednesday night captured the bond between him and both the franchise and fan base, which, despite their short time together, will endure.