Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porziņģis remains sidelined indefinitely as he continues to deal with an ongoing health issue, raising concerns about his availability for the upcoming NBA season.
The 31-year-old Latvian recently visited the Warriors’ facility at Chase Center, where he met with general manager Mike Dunleavy and Vice President of Player Health and Performance Dr. Rick Celebrini to discuss his condition.
The Warriors confirmed Wednesday that Porziņģis attended the meetings Tuesday and will begin spending time around his teammates, although there is still no confirmed timeline for his return to practice or competitive action.
Despite the uncertainty, Porziņģis offered an encouraging update on social media Wednesday, revealing that his condition is gradually improving.
“Hello people, I’m working with doctors and experts to figure out how to be fully back to good health asap. Honestly, I’m getting better and better. I just have to stay patient, and I believe I’ll be feeling great again soon,” he wrote.
The veteran center also acknowledged the emotional difficulties of dealing with persistent health problems alongside injuries throughout his professional career.
“It has definitely been frustrating dealing with some health stuff that you can’t exactly pinpoint, on top of injuries throughout my career, so it has added up for sure, but we will get through it. Health is wealth. Thank you for all the support.”
Golden State has not disclosed specific details about his medical condition, maintaining that further information will be released when appropriate.
“An update on his status, including the potential resumption of practice, playing status or timeline, will be provided when available and appropriate,” the team said in a statement.
Porziņģis has already missed training camp and preseason games, including the team’s trip to Hawaii.
His participation in Golden State’s season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 21 now appears uncertain.
During last month’s media day, Dunleavy declined to describe the situation as a long-term concern and did not rule out Porziņģis playing in the opener.
The 7-foot-2 center joined Golden State from the Atlanta Hawks at February’s trade deadline in a deal involving Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga.
He subsequently agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract in late June.
Injuries and health concerns limited Porziņģis to 32 appearances last season across Atlanta and Golden State, averaging 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks.
He featured in only 15 games for the Warriors, starting 11, leaving the franchise awaiting his recovery ahead of the new campaign.
