Golden State Warriors forward Kristaps Porzingis shocked many last week, as the Latvian big man announced that he'd be stepping away from basketball after 10 NBA seasons to focus on his health. Porzingis, who was a one-time All-Star and an NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, played 533 games, averaging 19.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.8 blocks and 0.7 steals.
Following the news revealed by Porzingis, one of his former coaches, Joe Mazzulla, reached out to offer his support. "I talked to him on the plane (over the phone). I reached out to him," Mazzulla said. "I had a good conversation with him. Also, some of my other guys on the staff did as well. I think it's just a good reminder of what we go through in an NBA season. When you look
at these guys as athletes and as basketball players, they're a lot more than that."
Porzingis played 99 games with the Celtics over two seasons and was an integral part of their most recent championship in the 2023-24 season.
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This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Kristaps Porzingis speaks to his former coach following health announcement
