New York Knicks Roster Rumors: Newfound Fame Makes Private Life Difficult for Kristaps Porzingis
New York Knicks rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis no longer sees himself as an ordinary person living his dream stateside. The young Latvian big man is making waves in his first year in the NBA, and part of that early success is the fact that he has to give up much of his private life.
The 20-year-old went to the Bahamas to take that much-deserved four-day rest and vacation with his family during the All-Star break, only to find out the hard way that there is no such thing as quiet time for him.
Talking to reporters about his trip, he mentioned about being so unlucky to have met some fellow vacationers from New York. "I didn't have a lot of space," he said about the experience. "There were a lot of people from New York, and I was taking a lot of pictures," he added. The vacation turned into a spectacle, featuring perhaps the most popular player in the Knicks roster today. He had to accommodate them of course, welcoming all those who wanted to take pictures and get his autograph.
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That Caribbean experience should give Porzingis a lesson or two about being a basketball star. "This just showed me that I'm not a normal person anymore, especially when there are a lot of people who recognize you," he said.
Selected fourth overall during the 2015 NBA Draft, Porzingis initially didn't get the approval of many Knicks fans because of him being a relative "unknown" in the United States. But halfway through the season, it certainly looked like Phil Jackson once again made a brilliant decision. With a very light frame, Porzingis surprised everyone with his versatility and decision making on the court. At seven feet, he can shoot the ball beyond the arc better than Dirk Nowitzki at the same age. He can pass and create scoring opportunities posting up.
There is little doubt he's the future of the franchise and he should expect to get more attention not only from Knicks fans in the future.
