Jami Thompson
Kristaps Porziis is a Latvian professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association’s Washington Wizards. He is one of the NBA’s tallest active players and plays both power forward and center.
Early Life
Kristaps Porzingis began playing basketball at the age of six, following in the footsteps of his parents. His older brother, Janis, a professional soccer player in Europe, would accompany him to off-season training sessions when he was 12 years old.
Until the age of 15, he played in youth leagues for BK Liepjas Lauvas, the most well-known team in his hometown of Liepaja. A Latvian agency sent a video of him to teams in Spain and Italy around this time.
Baloncesto Sevilla, a club with a professional team in Spain’s Liga ACB, contacted Porziis in 2010 for a tryout in an attempt to attract international talent for its youth squads.
Who are Kristaps Porziis Family?
Kristaps is the son of basketball parents. Tlis, his father, was a semi-professional wrestler before becoming a bus driver.
Similarly, his mother, Ingrda, used to play for Latvia’s young national basketball team.
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Kristaps’s elder brother, Janis, also played professionally, and Mrti, who is nearly fifteen years older than his younger sibling, was an enthusiastic player as well.
Janis Porzingis played in one game at the European second-tier EuroCup level, the same level at which Kristaps later played.
Furthermore, he spent over a decade playing European professional club basketball in a variety of national leagues, including the Italian League.
Amateur Years
Kristaps made his debut for the young team against a Barcelona team on January 4, 2012, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Alexander Zhigulin, the opposing team’s captain, would later enter and then withdraw from the 2015 NBA draft.
Sevilla, on the other hand, was defeated by a score of 56-75. This game was part of the Ciutat de L’Hospitalet competition, which took place prior to the Nike International Junior Tournament (NIJT).
On January 5, he set a personal best with 16 points on the Spars Sarajevo young squad, helping Sevilla to an 8-point victory over their opponents.
The player finished the tournament with an average of 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks. In early 2013, he returned to the Sevilla junior squad.
Similarly, he had 15 points and 6 rebounds against Union Olimpija on January 4.
In addition, he scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the team’s tournament finale against Real Madrid’s young squad on January 6. In addition, the player made five three-pointers.
Professional Career
Kristaps Porzingis was acquired by Dallas in a blockbuster seven-player trade with New York on July 31, 2019.
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For New York and Dallas, the player averaged 18.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 31.2 minutes per game in 243 games (242 starts).
Kristaps was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by New York after beginning his career with Cajasol Seville in Spain.
With the Knicks, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2015-16. In addition, he came in second in voting for the Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award, trailing Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns.
Kristaps is one of only three players in NBA history, aged 22 or younger, to hit 100-plus 3-pointers and block 100-plus shots in a season as a 21-year-old.
He was nominated for an All-Star game in 2018. Kristaps, on the other hand, was unable to play due to injuries.
Awards and Achievements
- 2018 NBA All-Star
- 2016 NBA All-Rookie First Team
- 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge
- 2015 EuroCup Rising Star (2015)
- 2014, 2015 2× ACB All-Young Players Team
Player of the Week
Kristaps has won Player of the Week honors twice in his career. The first time was from October 30 to November 5, 2017, in the Eastern Conference POW.
Similarly, the second time was in the POW of the Western Conference, from February 24 to March 1, 2020.
In 2019-20, the Latvian player became the NBA’s fastest player with 400-plus 3-pointers made and 400-plus blocks.
Furthermore, he was one of only five players in NBA history to have at least 4,000 points, 1,500 rebounds, 400 3-pointers made, and 400 blocks before the age of 25.
LeBron James, Towns, Kevin Durant, and Tracy McGrady are the other players to accomplish the feat.
Similarly, Kristaps has the only two games in NBA history with at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.
Relationship| Who is Kristaps Porziis’s Girlfriend?
The NBA player is currently involved with Laura Vizla. They haven’t married yet.
Both of them have no qualms about posting pictures of themselves on social media.
On September 25, 2021, the player made their relationship public by posting a picture on Instagram with a red heart emoji.
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Net Worth and Salary
According to sources, Kristaps Porzingis has a net worth of $6 million. The majority of the Latvian player’s net worth is accounted for by his salary and various endorsements.
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Furthermore, Porzingis agreed to terms with the Dallas Mavericks on a 5-year, $158,253,000 contract, with $158,253,000 guaranteed and an annual average salary of $31,650,600.
In 2021-22, Porzingis will earn a base salary of $31,650,600, with a cap hit of $31,650,600 and a dead cap value of $31,650,600.
In addition, Kristaps signed a shoe deal with Adidas in October 2016, the most lucrative deal for a European player. He switched to Adidas after his rookie season with Nike.
Age, Body Measurements
Kristaps, 27 years old, is one of the NBA’s tallest active players, standing 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 meters) and playing both power forward and center. Similarly, the player weighs 109kg.
Kristaps’ other body measurements are unfortunately unknown.
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Rumor and Contorversies| Rape Allegation
In March 2019, it was revealed that a woman accused Kristaps of raping her at the Sky building in February 2018, just hours after he tore his ACL.
The woman waited more than a year to come forward, according to authorities, because she discussed receiving a $68,000 payment from Porziis in exchange for remaining silent.
However, Kristaps’ attorney, Roland G. Riopelle, publicly refuted the accusation, claiming that he had already reported the matter to federal authorities due to the “accuser’s exorbitant demands.”
Social Media
- Instagram: 1.5 Million Followers
- Twitter: 375.7k Followers
FAQs
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Kristaps Porziņģis |
| Birth Date | 2 August 1995 |
| Birth Place | Liepāja, Latvia |
| Nick Name | The Unicorn |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | Latvian |
| Ethnicity | Latvian |
| Playing Career | 2012 – present |
| Zodiac | Leo |
| Chinese Zodiac | Pig |
| Father’s Name | Tlis Porziņgis |
| Mother’s Name | Ingrda Porzingis |
| Siblings | Janis Porziņgis |
| Age | 27 years old |
| Height | 7 feet 3 inches |
| Weight | 109 kg |
| NBA Debut | 2015 |
| Tattoos | No |
| Food Habits | Non-vegetarian |
| NBA Draft | Round: 1, Pick: 4th overall of 2015 |
| Hair Color | Light Brown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Career Highlights and Awards |
|
| Build | Athletic |
| Children | None |
| Girlfriend | Laura Vizla |
| Jersey Number | 6 |
| Position | Power forward, Center |
| Profession | Basketball player |
| League | NBA |
| Net Worth | $6 Million |
| Salary | $31,650,600 |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
