Kristaps Porzingis was nearly prepared to go to sleep in Latvia early final Thursday morning when he heard the preliminary commerce that may have despatched him to the Celtics had fallen aside.

That stored him up for a bit longer, then he determined to go to mattress and see what occurred within the morning.

“I awoke and noticed that the commerce occurred, and I used to be simply extraordinarily excited and very comfortable,” Porzingis mentioned.

Every week later, the newly acquired 7-foot-3 flamethrower met the Boston media for the primary time on the Auerbach Heart. He sported a plain white T-shirt, a shiny gold wristwatch and a scruffy beard and proudly held up a inexperienced, No. 8 jersey alongside head coach Joe Mazzulla and President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens.

Just a few single-digit numbers have been accessible (4 and eight) and Porzingis selected 8. Someplace, Antoine Walker shimmies in approval.

Porzingis was calm and measured all through the press convention, but he made it clear this isn’t a chance he takes evenly. The resounding theme was how he believes he could make life simpler for Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the remainder of the Celtics, whereas they concurrently make life simpler for him.

His objective is to take stress off the celebrities and add his personal aptitude to enrich what already exists. When requested in regards to the notion that he might be the lacking piece to place Boston excessive, he grinned and eagerly made his imaginative and prescient clear.

“That fireplace that I bought from that concept goes to gasoline me up for the remainder of the summer time and my time right here,” Porzingis mentioned.

Porzingis known as it an “extraordinarily straightforward” choice to come back to Boston and mentioned he’s thrilled to play for an “historic” and “iconic” franchise. Recent off a profession season, he mentioned he’s getting into his prime and expects his greatest years to come back within the close to future.

He mentioned the commerce helped him understand how a lot he missed enjoying on an enormous stage like he did with the Knicks, as an NBA beginner, when he could not have been fairly prepared for the highlight. Porzingis added that he’s grown up loads since then. New York, he mentioned, ready him for nearly something.

Whereas the expertise on the roster is apparent, Porzingis acknowledged it might take a while to search out chemistry on the ground. He does, nevertheless, anticipate it is going to come.

When requested if he’ll be able to carry out within the playoffs, he supplied an sincere and refreshing reply.

“Who is aware of?” Porzingis mentioned. “However I’m going to do all the pieces I can to assist this staff. I’ve a style of it, and I do know what it’s like.”

He understands his function extends off the courtroom as properly. After his press convention, Porzingis hung out with Ukrainian basketball gamers who’ve been displaced in Latvia for the reason that conflict started and are visiting Massachusetts.

Mazzulla, in the meantime, is raring to include Porzingis in a wide range of methods. He highlighted his versatility and famous how he can comfortably play each exterior the 3-point line and on the rim.

He mentioned he instructed Marcus Sensible he loves him and appreciates him. The thought isn’t to switch Sensible. That’s not attainable. It’s to include Porzingis and discover methods to maximise the match.

“I feel Kristaps will make our staff higher, and I feel he’ll make our locker room higher as properly,” Mazzulla mentioned.

Stevens, in the meantime, mentioned the Celtics are “thrilled to have Porzingis,” and reiterated that they will not be achieved simply but. The objective is to not accumulate as a lot expertise as attainable, however somewhat to search out “accentuators” who mesh properly with what’s already current.

“We’re actually fortunate,” Stevens mentioned. “We’ve bought the inexperienced mild to proceed so as to add.”