San Francisco (United States) (AFP) - Latvian center Kristaps Porzingis, a player for the Golden State Warriors, announced on Friday that he is stepping away from basketball due to health problems.

Published on: 07/11/2026 - 11:43

The 2.18-meter-tall player, who began his NBA career with New York in 2015, did not participate in any games this season with the Warriors, after informing the team before the start of pre-season exercises that he would not join him.

“I was very much looking forward to playing with this group this season, but as the pace of preparation increased, my body did not respond the way I expected,” Porzingis said in a statement posted on social media.

He added: "I'm fine, but I know exactly what it takes, and I'm not in the place I want to be in order to perform at the level I expect of myself. At this stage, I made the decision to prioritize my health and stay away from the game that I love."

Porzingis (31 years old) helped the Boston Celtics win the league title in 2024. He moved to Atlanta in 2025, the same year in which he was diagnosed with orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a neurological condition.

Porzingis did not mention this syndrome when talking about the reasons for his departure, nor did he announce his retirement from the game.

The Atlanta Hawks transferred him to the Warriors last February, and after playing 15 games with Golden State last season, he signed a two-year contract worth $40 million in June, although several reports indicated that the team was not paying him his salary during his time away.

He said: “In this circumstance, I want to show the utmost respect to the Golden State Warriors and cooperate with them to find a logical solution.”

Porzingis remained in contact with the Warriors' medical staff, at a time when the team started the season with a record of 6 wins against 3 defeats, and is achieving a series of six consecutive victories.

During ten seasons in the league with New York, Dallas, Washington, Boston, Atlanta and Golden State, Porzingis averaged 19.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.8 blocks per game.

© 2026 AFP

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