Kristaps Porziņģis revealed to The Athletic that he was dealing with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) during last season’s NBA playoffs — an illness that affected his play and factored into the Boston Celtics’ eventual exit.
Speaking to The Athletic’s Fred Katz, Porziņģis, now with the Atlanta Hawks, said that his conditioning took a hit during the second round against the New York Knicks and that at times he felt exhausted.
“It hit me, and it hit me like a truck,” Porziņģis said. “The breathing wasn’t good. I did everything I could potentially to feel as good as I could, but my engine wasn’t running the way I wanted.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, POTS “is a condition that causes a number of symptoms when you transition from lying down to standing up, such as a fast heart rate, dizziness and fatigue.” There is currently no cure, but there are treatments and changes in lifestyle that allow one to manage the symptoms.
Now with the Hawks, Kristaps Porziņģis is looking to bounce back after after being affected by an illness during the 2025 NBA playoffs. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Kevin C. Cox via Getty Images)
Porziņģis told Katz that there were moments where his heart rate would rise to 130 beats per minute going from lying down to a standing position.
“You know how people say, ‘Oh, I’m so fatigued.’ I’ve never used those words. I don’t even like to speak in those terms, but I really was like that,” Porziņģis said. “At that time, I could just lay on the couch and be a house cat.”
The Celtics described Porziņģis’ condition as an upper respiratory and non-COVID illness during the Eastern Conference semifinals series with the Knicks. The veteran center played 13 minutes in Game 1 and 12 minutes in Game 5, with coach Joe Mazzulla saying afterward that Porziņģis didn’t play in the second half because “he couldn’t breathe.”
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In the six-game playoff loss to the Knicks, Porziņģis averaged 4.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.8 blocks while playing 15.5 minutes per game. He was able to contribute more in Boston’s first-round series versus the Orlando Magic, averaging 12 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 27.4 minutes.
Those numbers were far below the 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks Porziņģis averaged during the regular season with 41% shooting on 250 3-point attempts. However, he appeared in only 42 games while recovering from ankle surgery, then struggling with his illness that sidelined him for eight games in late February through early March.
Following the playoff exit, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens told reporters that Porziņģis was dealing with a “post-viral syndrome” and that the Latvia native was expected to play for his country during the FIBA EuroBasket tournament in the summer.
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In six games, Porziņģis averaged 20.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 46.8% as Latvia reached the Round of 16.
Now 30, Porziņģis is managing POTS with help from his doctors and looking to prove he can still be an impactful player following a down finish to last season. He is entering a contract year with a new team following a summer trade that sent him to Atlanta. He will make $30.7 million this season and an extension could see him break the $40 million a year mark or he could test the free agent market in 2026.
“I know that’s an option. I wanna see how the year goes,” Porziņģis told The Athletic. “I wanna show that I’m playing at a high level again, that I’m healthy, that I’m everything, and then that kind of stuff will take care of itself, you know? We’ll see.”