Kristaps Porzingis Dealing with Foot Injury That May Keep Celtics' Center Out of FIBA World Cup

Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis did not participate in the Latvian men's basketball team's first two exhibition games as they gear up for the FIBA World Cup.

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

As the Latvian Men's National Basketball Team gears up for its first appearance in the FIBA World Cup, Kristaps Porzingis did not participate in their first two exhibition games.

It appears a foot injury is responsible for that and threatens his availability for the tournament. According to Rupert Fabig of the Hamburger Abendblatt, the former All-Star center, the Latvian men's basketball program, and the Boston Celtics will wait until the last minute to decide his status.

Danilo Gallinari suffering an ACL tear while playing for the Italian National Team in a FIBA World Cup Qualifier last summer, preventing him from living out his childhood dream of playing for the Celtics, is likely adding to the concern many C's fans are feeling about this situation. However, all parties' willingness to wait suggests the early belief this isn't a severe injury.

Still, at this juncture, it's fair to worry about the possibility of this lingering into the regular season.

And while understanding how much pride Porzingis takes in playing for the Latvian National Team, it's not hard to figure out whether Boston's brass wants the seven-foot-three center, who the Celtics signed to a two-year $60 million extension earlier this summer, to play through his foot injury.

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