Porzingis is just glad he’s now fully healthy as he prepares to enter his first season with the Atlanta Hawks, who have relied too heavily on Trae Young’s scoring and assists in recent seasons.

kAm!@CK:?8:D D2:5 9:D A2CE:4:A2E:@? 😕 E96 tFC@q2D<6E E@FC?2>6?E E9:D DF>>6C D9@H65 9:> 96 92D 7F==J C64@G6C65 7C@> E96 A6CD:DE6?E :==?6DD]k^Am

kAm“x DE:== 5@?’E 92G6 2? 6I24E 2?DH6C[” !@CK:?8:D D2:5 |@?52J H96? 2D<65 23@FE E96 :==?6DD 2E E96 w2H65:2 52J] “xE H2D =:?86C:?8] %92E H2D E96 E@F896DE A2CE] $@>6 52JD :E H2D ~z] x’> 8=25 :E’D 8@?6 ?@H]”k^Am

kAm!@CK:?8:D D2:5 9:D 4@?7:56?46 😕 9:D 962=E9 H2D C6DE@C65 H9:=6 A=2J:?8 7@C E96 {2EG:2? ?2E:@?2= E62> E9:D DF>>6C]k^Am

kAm“x 925 E96 82D E2?< 282:?[” !@CK:?8:D D2:5] “x 5:5?’E 92G6 2?J 4C2D96D] ]]] xV> 6I4:E65 x’> 4@>:?8 :?E@ E96 D62D@? 962=E9J]”k^Am

kAm%96 w2H^2CE:4=6^A@CK:?8D\EC256\92H0D@FC46l4@AJU2>AjFE>0>65:F>lD92C6QmE9C66\E62> EC256k^2m H:E9 q@DE@? 2?5 qC@@<=J? @? yF?6 ac]k^Am

kAm%96 w2H6?E]k^Am

kAm%96 f\7@@E\a !@CK:?8:D[ H9@ 92D 2G6C2865 `h]e A@:?ED 😕 ?:?6 }qp D62D@?D[ 😀 2 3:8 C62D@? pE=2?E2 😀 H:56=J AC@;64E65 E@ >@G6 FA 😕 E96 t2DE] %96 46?E6C 92D >256 be]eT @7 9:D b\A@:?E D9@ED 😕 9:D 42C66C[ H9:49 D9@F=5 @A6? DA246 7@C *@F?8’D D9@ED 2?5 A2DD6D]k^Am

kAm“tG6CJ 8C62E E62> 92D A6@A=6 E92E DE6A FA H96? E96 >@>6?E 42==D[” !@CK:?8:D D2:5] “x E9:?< E9:D E62> 92D E96 E2=6?E[ 2 =@E @7 8@@5 J@F?8 8FJD] %C26 2=C625J 92D 8@@5 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 ?@H >JD6=7 4@>:?8 :?E@ E9:D J@F?8 8C@FA[ x E9:?< x 42? ;FDE 6=6G2E6 2== E96D6 J@F?8 8FJD 2?5 3C:?8 6G6? >@C6[ =:<6 8F?A@H56C[ E@ E9:D E62>]”k^Am

kAm*@F?8 H2D =2DE D62D@?VD }qp 2DD:DED =6256C 2?5 =65 pE=2?E2 H:E9 ac]a A@:?ED A6C 82>6] *@F?8 ?@H 92D >@C6 96=A[ 6DA64:2==J H:E9 A@H6C 7@CH2C5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^92H0D@FC46l4@AJU2>AjFE>0>65:F>lD92C6Qmy2=6? y@9?D@?k^2m 324< 7C@> 2 D62D@?\6?5:?8 D9@F=56C :?;FCJ E92E C6BF:C65 DFC86CJ]k^Am

kAmy@9?D@? 2G6C2865 `g]h A@:?ED[ `_ C63@F?5D 2?5 7:G6 2DD:DED 2D *@F?8VD E@A D4@C:?8 4@>A=6>6?E 2?5 ?@H ;@:?D ~?J6<2 ~<@?8HF[ !@CK:?8:D 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^C:D2496C\D2CCD\H6>32?J2>2\7C2?46\e2aed66e_f_`6b4`72732e2_6_`6_d4dnFE>0D@FC46l4@AJU2>AjFE>0>65:F>lD92C6Qm+24492C:6 #:D2496C[k^2m E96 }@] ` A:4< 😕 E96 a_ac }qp 5C27E 2?5 CF??6C\FA 😕 E96 #@@<:6 @7 E96 *62C G@E:?8[ 2D E96 E@A 7C@?E\=:?6 @AE:@?D]k^Am

kAm*@F?8 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?32\>@DE\:>AC@G65\A=2J6C\63g42b2ach52fecb3e3hg`3fed4h3c`_nFE>0D@FC46l4@AJU2>AjFE>0>65:F>lD92C6QmsJD@? s2?:6=Dk^2m[ G@E65 E96 }qpVD |@DE x>AC@G65 !=2J6C =2DE D62D@? 2?5 E96 CF??6C\FA 2D E@A 5676?D:G6 A=2J6C[ C6EFC? 2D E96 DE2CE:?8 8F2C5D]k^Am

kAm%96C6 H6C6 >2?J BF6DE:@?D 23@FE 96:89E6?65 6IA64E2E:@?D @? |@?52J] r@249 “F:? $?J56C 2?5 @E96CD 2D<65 7@C A2E:6?46 2D E96 ?6H 8C@FA 364@>6D 4@>7@CE23=6 H:E9 9:D D496>6 2?5 E96:C ?6H C@=6D]k^Am

kAm“(6 92G6 E@ 36 A2E:6?E 2?5 F?56CDE2?5 E9:D 😀 2 D=@H 3FC?[” $?J56C D2:5 367@C6 255:?8 “%92E 5@6D?’E >62? H6 42?’E 36 FC86?E]”k^Am

kAmr=62C=J ?@ @?6 H:== 36 D2E:D7:65 H:E9 2?@E96C A=2J\:? E@FC?2>6?E 36CE9]k^Am

kAm“(96? H6 H6C6 962=E9J H6 4@F=5 4@>A6E6 H:E9 2?J3@5J[ 6DA64:2==J 😕 E96 t2DE[” *@F?8 D2:5 @7 =2DE D62D@?VD E62>] “%96C6’D 2 =@E @7 E62>D E92E 42? D2J E92E 6G6CJ J62C[ D@ 9@A67F==J H6 92G6 E92E =F4< 724E@C E9:D J62C 2?5 :7 H6 5@ x’> G6CJ 4@?7:56?E 😕 @FC E62>]”k^Am

kAm*@F?8 😀 6?E6C:?8 E96 7:?2= J62C @7 2 7:G6\J62C 4@?EC24E 96 D:8?65 😕 a_a`] w6 92D 2 A=2J6C @AE:@? 7@C E96 a_ae\af D62D@?] pD<65 :7 96V5 =:<6 E@ 2=C625J 92G6 2? 6IE6?D:@? 6?E6C:?8 E9:D D62D@?[ *@F?8 D2:5 “|2J36]”k^Am

kAm“x H2D?’E DEC6DD65[” *@F?8 D2:5] “x7 D@>6E9:?8 92AA6?65[ :E 92AA6?65] x7 :E 5:5?’E[ :E 5:5?’E] x’> 7@4FD65 @? E9:D E62> C:89E ?@H] ]]] (9@ @HD H92E E96 7FEFC6 92D 7@C >6[ 3FE C:89E ?@H x’> 96C6 😕 E96 AC6D6?E]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! }qpi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?32Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^}qpk^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.