Joe Mazzulla Spoke With Kristaps Porziņģis After His Decision To Step Away From Basketball

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla had a heartfelt conversation with Kristaps Porziņģis on the team’s flight to Milwaukee. Their chat left Mazzulla with plenty to reflect on, and he shared those thoughts before Sunday night’s game against the Bucks.

“I talked to him on the plane. I reached out to him,” Mazzulla told reporters pregame, per CLNS Media. “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.”

On Friday, Porziņģis announced he would “step away” from basketball to focus on his health as he continues battling postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition that has sidelined him since the start of the season. Porziņģis’ symptoms first emerged during his final season with the Celtics in February 2025, and continued lingering during his follow-up stints with the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors.

Porziņģis signed a two-year, $40 million deal with Golden State this past summer, making the 31-year-old’s search for a “solution,” as he described it, all the more pressing.

His 57-game debut season with the Celtics, which culminated in the 2024 NBA championship, was the last time we saw Porziņģis in his ‘unicorn’ form. Acquired via trade with the Wizards in exchange for Marcus Smart, Porziņģis needed little time to win over the Boston crowd. He averaged 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game before delivering an electric performance in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Mavericks, scoring 20 points, grabbing six rebounds and recording three blocks in just 21 minutes.

He left Boston a champion and cemented his Celtics legacy, although Mazzulla wasn’t focused on any of that.

Instead, Mazzulla opened up about his broader perspective, stressing the importance of connecting with the person behind the jersey rather than simply the player. With health concerns reminding everyone — including professional athletes — that there’s more to life than basketball, Mazzulla values the moments he shares with his players away from the court just as much as their accomplishments on it.

“Their platforms, their life, their careers are so much more than what happens on the court,” Mazzulla said. “So it’s a good reminder of that. We’re able to talk to him about it, but he’s in a pretty good space. Whatever we can do to help him, we will. And I’m grateful for the time I got to spend with him on and off the court.”

The pressure was immediate when Porziņģis arrived in Boston. Not only had the organization parted ways with Smart, a beloved fan favorite, to bring him aboard, but the expectations were immediately championship-or-bust as he joined forces with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, and Jrue Holiday to form an all-time great Celtics roster.

Porziņģis seamlessly connected with both the fanbase and his new teammates. He even lived in the same apartment building as Brown, as the two would frequently carpool to games and sit side-by-side on flights together.

“Just a guy, when he comes into a room, he lights the room up, lights the locker room up,” Mazzulla said. “I thought the years he was [in Boston], he was like the icebreaker. He brought a sense of joy to the rigors of the season and playing for the Celtics, and he brought a joy to that. I think he had a positive impact on the locker room.”

For everything Porziņģis accomplished in Boston before his time with the Celtics came to an end, Mazzulla remains grateful. But he’s also mindful. He understands that Banner 18, the performances and the unforgettable moments that will forever live in the organization’s history, represent only part of what Porziņģis meant to him and the team. Their relationship extends well beyond basketball — something Mazzulla made clear.