'Big Noise!' Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis Praises Spurs' Victor Wembanyama

Boston Celtics star Kristaps Porzingis had kind words for San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 25, 2023

'Big Noise!' Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis Praises Spurs' Victor Wembanyama /

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San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama has a lot in common with Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis.

Both came to the NBA from Europe as top international prospects with incredibly high expectations. Wembanyama has been the most hyped prospect in recent memory, while Porzingis had to deal with the New York pressure as the big building block for the Knicks.

Dec 15, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) greets fans before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Frost Bank Center / © Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

That gives Porzingis a lot of empathy towards Wembanyama, whom he believes could emerge as a star in the league like he was intended to be.

"You can see his interactions with Pop (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich). He’s like, eye contact, listening, doing exactly what they tell him to do. And that’s a huge part of him just keep growing and keep getting better," Porzingis said via The Athletic's David Aldridge. "He’s already making big noise in this league, and it’s his first year, when he’s coming in very skinny, and he still has so much room to grow. But seeing that from him, that just tells me a lot about him, about his personality. And if keeps that mindset, he’ll be fine."

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Porzingis is a nine-year veteran who has played with the Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards and Celtics, so he's seen a thing or two in the league and knows what it takes to succeed. This means that Wembanyama now has a strong stamp of approval as he embarks on chasing greatness.

Porzingis and the Celtics visit the Spurs in San Antonio on New Year's Eve. Tipoff for Sunday is set for 6 p.m. CT.

Published Dec 25, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.