By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Boston Celtics released an update on Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis on Tuesday, confirming surgery is necessary.
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Porzingis, 28, has been ruled out for the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, as expected.
Per the press release: “Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis suffered a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on June 9th. The injury always requires surgical repair. Porzingis had hoped to delay surgery until after both the NBA Finals and Latvia’s Olympic campaign, but the injury doesn’t allow for consistent play at the level required for Olympic competition. Surgery will be performed in the coming days, and further updates will be provided when available.”
A recovery timeline will be set following the operation. Consequently, Porzingis is questionable for the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, besides being ruled out of the OQT in Riga. Hosting a tournament between six countries between July 2 and 7, Latvia must rank first over Brazil, Cameroon, Georgia, Montenegro, and the Philippines to clinch a berth in the 2024 Olympic Games. The surviving national team will join host France, Germany, and Japan in Group B of the preliminary stage of the basketball tournament of the Olympic Games.
It is certainly a huge blow to the bid for the first appearance in the Olympics since 1936. However, Latvia ranked fifth in the first-ever appearance in the FIBA World Cup and earned a second opportunity for a ticket to Paris without the Unicorn last summer.