From the court to the cage? NBA star raises eyebrows with career plan

Kristaps Porzingis will suit up for the Atlanta Hawks starting in the 2025-26 NBA season, following a trade from the Celtics aimed at easing Boston’s financial burden. For now, the Latvian big man is focused on representing his national team in the upcoming EuroBasket tournament, which runs from August 27 to September 14.

But Porzingis already has his sights set on a future far removed from the hardwood - and much closer to the octagon.

“A sport I’m deeply passionate about”

In an interview with Latvian sports outlet Sportacentrs.com, Porzingis revealed his enthusiasm for mixed martial arts and expressed interest in pursuing the sport once his basketball career comes to an end.

“Mixed martial arts is a sport I’m deeply passionate about,” Porzingis said. “It’s my favorite to watch. That’s why I’ve decided to get involved in a new MMA project. Everything’s still in the works, but once we get closer to the final product, I’ll be able to share more.

“This summer I played a bit of tennis and padel - it’s a great summer sport, especially outdoors. I’ve also tried my hand at MMA, but I promised one of the clubs I played for that I’d leave that sport alone during my basketball career. I’m saving it for after I retire.”

Porzingis and Latvia gear up for EuroBasket

Latvia will serve as one of the host nations for EuroBasket 2025, with group stage games taking place at Arena Riga in the capital city. The Latvian squad will face off against Portugal, Estonia, Turkey, Serbia, and the Czech Republic.

Head coach Luca Banchi leads the team, supported by assistants Janis Gailitis, Zanis Peiners, Davis Coders, and Arturs Visockis-Rubenis.

In July, Latvia announced an extended roster of 25 players, which has since been narrowed down to 15 as the team prepares to finalize the 12-man squad for the continental championship. The current list includes:

• Kristaps Porzingis
• Davis Bertans
• Dairis Bertans
• Mareks Mejiris
• Rolands Smits
• Klavs Cavars
• Rihards Lomazs
• Andrejs Grazulis
• Martins Laksa
• Marcis Steinbergs
• Toms Skuja
• Rodions Kurucs
• Arturs Kurucs
• Arturs Zagars
• Kristers Zoriks

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