The Atlanta Hawks star Kristaps Porzingis doesn't rule out a return to Europe, while naming European cities in which he likes to spend the most time. Porzingis also discussed the NBA Europe project, expressing doubts about the cities without basketball traditions.
Despite the sweltering heat, with temperatures spiking to over 40 °C that keep most of the locals indoors until 7 p.m., Kristaps Porzingis loves to go to his beloved Seville in the summer to spend some time in the city that saw him blossom into a pro basketball player with the makings of an NBA talent.
The Latvian center likes to soak in the special charm of the southern Spanish city, where he arrived in the summer of 2010 to join CB Sevilla's feeder program at 15 years old.
He made his debut in the ACB League at just 17 years old in 2014 before leaving Seville for New York in 2015 after being drafted fourth overall by the Knicks.
He is used to going back and forth between the United States and Europe to enjoy his second home and play for the national team, having done so for a decade, but he could take a one-way trip overseas in a few years.
"There's nothing better than living in Europe, in my opinion," said Porzingis, who initially struggled to learn Spanish but eventually ended up speaking the language with the same genuine and disheartened accent typical of Andalusia, the southernmost province of Spain.
Porzingis keeps the door open to a EuroLeague return
The Latvian doesn't rule out returning to Europe to stay for good and continue his professional career once he finishes his business in the NBA.
"Who knows? I always keep that open, obviously. I love European basketball, I love EuroLeague," Porzingis told BasketNews in an extensive conversation when the Hawks were visiting Toronto.
NBA Europe and the cities that intrigue Porzingis
The Hawks center brought up the NBA Europe discussion and named some cities when asked about preferred destinations.
"I've heard that there's going to be an NBA in Europe. I don't know how that's going to look, but there are definitely interesting things on the horizon. And who knows? Why not? There's nothing better than living in Europe, in my opinion, in cities like Athens, Barcelona, Madrid, to name a few," Porzingis said.
"There are so many great places to live and have a great life outside of basketball and playing in front of some of the best fans. Partizan in Belgrade, Crvena Zvezda – it's a beautiful city, the fans are crazy. You never know, we'll see," added the veteran center.
He delved into concerns about the NBA launching a top-tier European basketball competition, which could be inaugurated as soon as 2027.
The NBA has promised more revenue for teams and a more open competition that could involve more teams, both existing and new franchises.
However, some questions loom over European basketball's hardcore fanbase, as fandom differs greatly between the United States and Europe.
One fear is that NBA Europe could take away the deep-rooted, passionate atmospheres seen night in and night out in the EuroLeague, with the OAKA, the Belgrade Arena, and the Zalgiris Arena among the most representative examples.
Porzingis has doubts about cities without basketball tradition
BasketNews asked Porzingis about his thoughts on concerns that European basketball is losing part of its essence.
"That's a good question. It's hard to say. Obviously, the NBA model works really well here. In Europe, there is already EuroLeague, and there is already the heritage and the history of the clubs and the rivalries, etc.," the Latvian center said.
Porzingis also expressed doubts about new franchises in cities without a strong basketball tradition, though he sees the pros in the NBA expanding into Europe.
"I don't know how hard or how easy it would be for a new league like that to come into Europe, and maybe to go to Manchester, which is one of the cities I saw. I don't know how much Manchester loves basketball. I feel like it's a football city, so I don't know how that would look, but if somebody can do it, it's the NBA. They are smart people," he said.
"Obviously, there are big, smart people and big budgets behind all of that. We'll see. The more opportunities there are for players, the better, and all of those teams are also going to be in great cities. So it could be potentially something really, really cool," said the NBA champion with the Boston Celtics.
London, Rome, and Paris are reportedly other cities on the table that aspire to create new franchises to participate in this new top-tier European competition.
While countries like France and Italy have a well-known basketball tradition, that's not the case in England, the birthplace of football.
Nevertheless, the Knicks forward OG Anunoby is already an NBA champion, while Amari Williams is the other English hooper in the best league in the world, representing the Celtics.
Porzingis' upcoming plans with Latvia
Kristaps Porzingis could see himself playing in Europe again sometime in the future, but for now, the center will only play basketball on the Old Continent with the Latvian national team.
While the Hawks center led the team into the EuroBasket Round of 16, Porzingis left his participation in the World Cup qualifiers this summer uncertain.
"I'm not sure yet. I haven't thought about that yet. I haven't gotten that far," he said.
Once Kristaps Porzingis finished his conversation with BasketNews, the center said he is planning to go to Seville in the summer, to enjoy life in the present, and Barcelona, Madrid, Athens, or Belgrade to enjoy basketball in the future.
The biggest question is whether it will be in the EuroLeague or NBA Europe.
Toni Canyameras
Toni Canyameras began his basketball media career in 2021, covering FC Barcelona. He became a fan of the sport thanks to Barça and the Japanese manga series Slam Dunk. Toni moved to Toronto in 2022 and has since been covering the NBA from a European perspective, reporting on games, All-Star weekends, and the Summer League. He holds a degree in Journalism, a Master's Degree in Sports Journalism in Spain, and a Postgraduate in Journalism in Canada.
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