Boston Celtics forward Kristaps Porzingis will not play for Latvia in the FIBA World Cup because of plantar fasciitis.
Porzingis announced on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, that he made the decision after an MRI in consultation with the Celtics and Latvian coaching and medical staffs about the foot issue.
“Such a decision is not easy to make, but I promise that I will be there and support the team as much as I can,” Porzingis wrote in Latvian.
He didn’t indicate how quickly he could return to basketball, but plantar fasciitis can be an ongoing issue. Porzingis posted that he already has had “several weeks of recovery.”
The World Cup begins begins Aug. 25 in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Boston acquired Porzingis from the Washington Wizards in a three-team trade in June. The Celtics, who sent defensive specialist Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in the deal, added the 7-foot-3 Porzingis after coming within one game of the NBA Finals. Porzingis averaged a career-high 23.2 points per game along with 8.4 rebounds last season in Washington.
