It seems this offseason, no Boston Celtics will be competing in World Cup play. Per recent reporting from Basket News, star Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis will sit out the 2023 FIBA World Cup with the Latvian National Team due to injury.
While that might have Boston fans nervous given how the same sort of situation played out with veteran forward Danilo Gallinari last summer, Porzingis revealed the ailment is plantar fasciitis, a troublesome but not (usually) especially serious of a problem keeping the Latvian big man on the bench.
In his own Twitter post, Porzingis confirmed his decision to sit for the World Cup this offseason. “After several weeks of recovery and a repeat MRI examination, the plantar fasciitis of my foot still prevents me from being on the field in full readiness,” said the new Boston big man (translated by Google Translate).
It may be the dog days of August in the NBA’s 2023 offseason, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have plenty of Boston Celtics-related things to talk about. https://t.co/9D3kRmYsql
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 15, 2023
“This joint decision has been made by both the medical staff and coaching staff of the national team, as well as the Celtics team – with the advice and opinion that it is now necessary to continue the recovery process.”
For Boston fans, the news is a mixed bag, given that while plantar fasciitis is not usually a serious threat to an NBA player’s career, it can cause a player to miss significant time to recover as well. It’s a very far cry from Gallinari’s torn ACL, but exactly great news either.
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