Kristaps Porzingis was a shell of himself for the Celtics in the playoffs last season.
Porzingis was repeatedly on the injury report with an illness —but an official diagnosis had not been revealed for the sickness that zapped his energy and impacted his play... until now.
Porzingis, who was traded to the Hawks in the offseason, was dealing with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), according to a story from Fred Katz in The Athletic. The illness can dramatically increase a patient's heart rate while standing instead of while resting horizontally. At times, Porzingis's heart rate approached 130 beats per minute while standing up.
"It hit me, and it hit me like a truck," Porzingis told Katz. "The breathing wasn't good. I did everything I could potentially to feel as good as I could, but my engine wasn't running the way I wanted. You know how people say, 'Oh, I'm so fatigued.' I've never used those words. I don't even like to speak in those terms, but I really was like that. At that time, I could lay on the couch and be a house cat."
Porzingis is in a better place with his health entering the new NBA season on a new team. He played for Latvia during EuroBasket this past summer and didn't have any issues. The hope is that it continues with an 82-game NBA schedule upcoming.
Porzingis and the Hawks tip-off their season on Wednesday night against the Raptors.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kristaps Porzingis Reveals Official Diagnosis of Illness That Impacted 2025 Playoffs.