Fans of the Boston Celtics were biting their nails about the health of their recently extended All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis after a report the Latvian big man might not play for his national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup due to an undisclosed foot injury.
However, the Latvian Basketball Association denied the claim in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday. In a statement, the association declared Porzingis’s foot is not injured and that he will continue training for the tournament.
“There has been information that questions the participation of Kristaps Porzingis in the FIBA World Cup. LBS denies this information,” wrote the Latvian Basketball Association (translation via Google Translate).
It also stated both individual player preparation and team training are ongoing with the lineup for the match against the Dominican Republic to be announced on Aug. 12.
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://t.co/f2Alxq8TUQ
— Celtics Lab Podcast (@CelticsLab) August 3, 2023
In the wake of forward Oshae Brissett electing to sit out World Cup play for Team Canada as a precautionary measure as the result of an undisclosed knee injury and Al Horford (sans injury) for the Dominican Republic as well, Boston fans are likely breathing a sigh of relief.
Especially less than a year removed from another major signee — Danilo Gallinari — tearing an ACL in FIBA play.
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