Kristaps Porzingis is stepping away from basketball indefinitely, and the Golden State Warriors have stopped paying him.
The 7-foot-2 center announced Friday he is prioritizing his health after his body failed to respond as expected while ramping up for the season.
“This season I was really looking forward to running it with this group, but as I ramped up, my body didn’t respond the way I anticipated. I’m doing good, but I know what it takes and I’m not where I want to be to perform at the level that I expect from myself. At this point, I’ve made the decision to prioritize my health and step away from the game I love,” Porzingis said in a statement.
He added that he wants to “show the utmost respect” for the Warriors and work with the team “to find a solution that makes sense,” thanking his family and supporters for standing by him.
According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, citing league sources, the Warriors have stopped making the semimonthly payments on Porzingis’ $20 million salary. Charania reported Porzingis is not disputing the halted payments, and the NBA Players’ Association has no plans to challenge it either.
Porzingis has not played a single game for the Warriors this season. He stepped away from the team the day before training camp began this offseason. He is reportedly dealing with recurring symptoms tied to Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a condition that can cause dizziness and fatigue.
The absence has fueled online speculation about his condition, including false claims from so-called “internet doctors” that he had contracted HIV or AIDS. Porzingis addressed the rumors directly in an Oct. 14 post on X.
“Hello people, I’m working with doctors and experts to figure out how to be fully back to good health asap. Honestly, I’m getting better and better. I just have to stay patient, and I believe I’ll be feeling great again soon,” he wrote.
Despite appearing in only 74 games total over the past two seasons due to health problems, the Warriors signed Porzingis to a two-year, $40 million extension this past offseason. He has earned more than $253 million in the NBA since debuting with the New York Knicks in 2015.
