Latvian Basketball denies report that Kristaps Porzingis is dealing with a foot injury
BOSTON -- Celtics fans received a pretty big scare Wednesday afternoon when a report surfaced saying that Kristaps Porzingis may miss the upcoming FIBA World Cup due to a foot injury. They can breathe a little easier, with the Latvian Basketball Association denying that report Thursday morning.
According to the LBA, Porzingis' foot is OK and the big man will continue to train for the upcoming tournament.
"There has been information that questions the participation of Kristaps Porzingis in the FIBA World Cup," LBS wrote in a Tweet, as translated by Google. "LBS denies this information. Both the player's individual preparation plans and the team's overall training process are ongoing. The line-up for the match against the Dominican Republic will be announced on August 12."
Rupert Fabig of BIG Deutschland initially reported Wednesday there were "growing concerns" that an injury could keep Porzingis out of the World Cup. It was something that Porzingis, the Latvian team, and the Celtics were discussing, and a decision on whether or not Porzingis would play wouldn't be made until the last minute.
Fabig later clarified that the injury was nothing serious, but the LBA dismissed it altogether Thursday.
Any ailment to Porzingis is a concern for the Celtics, given the big man's injury history throughout his career. Porzingis has missed time in each of his eight seasons in the NBA, included the entire 2018-19 season with an ACL tear. He played in 65 games for Washington last season, his highest game total since his second season in the league.
The Celtics acquired Porzingis this offseason in a three-team trade that sent Marcus Smart to Memphis, and then gave him a two-year extension. They'll be counting on him to play a massive role alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as the team vies for a title next season.
