Shortly after helping the Boston Celtics win the 2024 NBA Championship, big man Kristaps Porzingis underwent surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon. It is an extremely rare injury, and Porzingis isn’t projected to return to the Celtics lineup until the end of the calendar year.
Porzingis initially sustained a calf strain in Round 1 against the Miami Heat, but after returning in time for the NBA Finals, he injured himself again in Game 2. And the ailment was unrelated to his prior issue.
Kristaps Porzingis posts photos to Instagram of him working out on the court after surgery
The big man is working on his road to recovery this summer, and based on the photos he recently posted to his Instagram story, things seem to be going well. (H/t Noa Dalzell of SB Nation)
Looks like Kristaps Porzingis is back in the gym pic.twitter.com/dbVK4N9q5B
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) August 26, 2024
Celtics assistant DJ MacLeay is working with Porzingis on his rehab, as he was in the background of another photo the star posted.
During the 2024 Olympics, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe caught up with Celtics President of Basketball Operations and spoke to him about Porzingis. While Stevens admitted that Porzingis will endure a long recuperation process, he spoke highly of his progress.
“He’s in Latvia. He’s starting to do more and more and more,” Stevens said. “He was in a boot for a while there, but every indication is he’s progressing well and he’s on the right timeline. But it’s going to be a while.”
Boston traded for Porzingis last summer, dealing Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team trade. He played a crucial role in the Celtics’ regular season and playoff runs, though he dealt with some injuries throughout the year.
Porzingis inked a three-year extension when he was traded to Boston, so he will be under contract with the Celtics through the 2025-26 season.
While Porzingis’ injury history will be a concern moving forward, Boston knew what they were signing up for when they made a move for him. And it paid off in a big way, as he helped them bring home Banner 18.
The Celtics will have to bide their time during the first couple of months of the season while Porzingis is out, but it looks like he’s on his way to a full recovery.