Key Highlights
- Kristaps Porziņģis was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) during the 2025 NBA playoffs.
- The illness affected his performance, contributing to the Boston Celtics’ exit from the playoffs in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
- PORziņģis is now with the Atlanta Hawks and aims to bounce back after dealing with the health condition.
The Diagnosis: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
Kristaps Porziņģis, a key player for the Boston Celtics during the 2025 NBA playoffs, disclosed his battle with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), an illness that significantly impacted his performance. According to The Athletic’s Fred Katz, Porziņģis was diagnosed with POTS after the second round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks.
Defined by the Cleveland Clinic, POTS is a condition marked by a rapid increase in heart rate upon standing from a lying position, often accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness and fatigue. For Porziņģis, his symptoms included a dramatic rise in heart rate to 130 beats per minute when transitioning from lying down to standing.
Impact on Performance
Porziņģis’s condition had a noticeable effect on his game during the playoffs. He played only 13 minutes in Game 1 and 12 minutes in Game 5 of the series, with coach Joe Mazzulla noting that Porziņģis couldn’t breathe due to his symptoms. This led to an overall poor performance, averaging just 4.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in six games.
His condition was initially described by the Celtics as a non-COVID upper respiratory illness. However, Porziņģis himself acknowledged the severity of his symptoms, stating, “It hit me, and it hit me like a truck.” Despite his efforts to manage the condition, he admitted feeling exhausted and often needing to rest.
Recovery and Future Prospects
Following the playoff exit, Porziņģis traveled to Latvia to play for his national team during the FIBA EuroBasket tournament. He managed to contribute significantly, averaging 20.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in six games while shooting 46.8%. Despite this, he was sidelined by POTS for eight games in late February through early March.
NOW with the Atlanta Hawks, Porziņģis is entering his contract year, aiming to prove that he can still be an impactful player despite the challenges of the past season.
His current situation is complex: he will make $30.7 million this season and could potentially break the $40 million a year mark in an extension or test the free agent market after 2026.
When discussing his future, Porziņģis expressed optimism about his ability to return to form: “I know that’s an option. I wanna see how the year goes. 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.”
