Kristaps Porzingis reveals he ‘hasn’t stopped smiling’ since being in Boston
The big man praised the Celtics' winning culture and high standard of excellence, which he credited to the team's leadership.
It’s been eight months since Boston acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Wizards in a three-way trade.
And despite the drastic change of temperature in New England since June, Porzingis says he’s still thrilled to be here.
“I haven’t stopped smiling since being here,” Porzingis said following the Celtics’ 136-86 blowout victory over the Nets Wednesday night. “I just enjoy being here so much. To be in this kind of organization, playing for these kind of fans… it’s unreal.”
The Celtics have benefitted massively from Porzingis’ presence on the floor. His dominance in the paint, coupled with his ability to shoot from beyond the arc, make the 7-foot-2 center a huge threat to opponents (no pun intended). This season he’s averaging 20.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 53 percent.
Porzingis credited the Celtics organization and leadership for his outstanding performance in Boston so far. He noted that this team has a higher standard for excellence compared to ones he’s played for in the past.
“From the top down, it’s just a really high-level organization. And us as players, we feel that and we know that we have to show up each and every night,” Porzingis said.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla tallied his 100th career regular-season win Wednesday night. Porzingis continued his praise for the team’s leadership, emphasizing that a winning team takes more than simply a talented roster.
“It’s easy to not give him the credit because of the talent we have,” Porzingis said. “But he deserves a lot of credit. He deserves a lot of credit and the rest of the coaching staff also.”
Following the week-long All-Star break, the Celtics face off against the Bulls on Feb. 22 at 8 p.m.
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