Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis said Friday that he will step away from basketball to prioritize his health.
The Warriors previously said that the Latvian player (31 years old) would be absent from the field for an indefinite period; Due to an undisclosed health problem, before he announced on October 21 that he would not be with the team in the “near future.”
Porzingis, who helped the Boston Celtics win the NBA title in 2024, discovered last year that he had a problem that causes the heart rate to increase excessively when standing.
In a statement posted on social media on Friday, Porzingis said his body did not respond the way he expected this season.
He said: “I am fine, but I know what it takes, and I am not in the position I want to perform to perform as I expect from myself. “At this point I made the decision to prioritize my health and step away from the game I love.”
Porzingis, who joined Golden State in a trade last February, was absent from the team during training camp and the beginning of the preseason, and did not participate in any games this season.
The 7-foot-2-inch (2.19-meter) player this summer extended his contract with the Warriors for two years, worth $40 million. ESPN reported that Golden State stopped paying Porzingis’ dues throughout his absence from the team.
The Latvian player said that he would work with the team to “find a logical solution.”
Porzingis played three seasons with the New York Knicks before playing for the Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, and then the Warriors.
Last season, he averaged 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
Kimi Antonelli, who recently clinched the Formula 1 World Championship title, recorded the best time on Friday in the second free practice of the Brazilian Grand Prix scheduled in Sao Paulo on Sunday, after McLaren driver Lando Norris topped the first practice at the Interlagos circuit.
Mercedes driver Antonelli scored one minute and 10.763 seconds, followed by Norris in second place, 0.253 seconds behind, while Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, a four-time world champion, came in third, 0.259 seconds behind the lead.
The Italian driver said in reference to the qualifying trials that will be held later on Saturday: “There is still some work to be done, but I feel good in general and excited about today.” “I think we have a good chance.”
Mercedes driver George Russell finished fourth, knowing that he would be subject to a penalty for dropping in the starting order due to changes in the components of the power unit, followed by McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Antonelli (20 years old), who won the world championship title by finishing third in the Mexico race last Sunday, finished the first free trials in second place behind Norris.
Norris said: “The first test session was a bit of a surprise, but a pleasant surprise. In the second session I think we had a little more difficulty compared to the Mercedes, as we were about 20 seconds behind each lap. But compared to some other teams, our situation seems pretty good.”
Mercedes can win the teams' title in the Brazilian race if it beats Ferrari by three points during the race.
Leclerc, who returned to the Ferrari car after young Dino Pejanovic drove it in the first test, reported a problem with the brakes early in the second test, while Hamilton complained about the performance of the tires, at a time when Ferrari seeks to reduce the gap with Mercedes.
Leclerc, who became a father this week, almost collided with Brazilian Rafael Camara, the rookie Haas driver who replaced Esteban Ocon.
Kamara, who is competing in his first race at the Interlagos Circuit, finished the second session in 16th place after finishing 17th in the first session.
The support of the local fans also went to another Brazilian driver, Audi driver Gabriel Bortoletto, who finished the second session in eighth place.
This is the first time since 2016 that two Brazilian drivers have participated in a Formula 1 event, and the Audi driver finished the first tests in eighth place.
“It was amazing and very special,” Kamara said. Getting the opportunity to participate in the first free trials was touching. You see the crowd in front of you cheering. “It was a special feeling to drive my car here at Interlagos.”
A number of young and reserve drivers participated in the first trials before the main drivers returned to participate in the second round.
Freddie Slater's stop in the first free practice, as a result of a gearbox malfunction, caused the red flag to be raised, which prevented Nico Hulkenberg, the Audi driver, from participating in the second practice. The German was the only driver who did not record any lap time.
“The car just stopped... lost gears,” the Briton told his team over the intercom. Slater, who spent limited driving time in Mexico last week, completed only seven laps and finished last.
Hamilton reported, via the intercom, a slippery surface during the first trials despite the dry weather, with rain expected during the remaining two days of the race on a track known for exciting races in wet conditions.
A number of drivers, including Hamilton, Antonelli and Kamara, deviated briefly from the track at the first turn during the first round, while Verstappen complained of a problem with the speed reduction process, describing it as “unacceptable.”
Alpine driver Gabriel Mini impressed everyone by finishing seventh in the first tests, ahead of Bortoletto and his Argentine colleague Franco Colapinto.
Hansi Flick, the coach of the Spanish team Barcelona, faces a crucial decision before his club's upcoming trip to face its host Atletico Madrid in the twelfth round of the Spanish Football League championship.
Barcelona leads the competition with 30 points, two points ahead of its closest competitor, Atletico, while Real Madrid is in third place with 27 points.
With the absence of veteran star Rodri, the German coach is studying the options available to accompany Pedri in the midfield, where three names stand out, each of which has different characteristics.
During the match, which is being held at the “Riyadh Air Metropolitano” stadium, Barcelona must find a careful balance between possession of the ball and dealing with the physical strength of the host team.
According to the Spanish newspaper “AS”, Marc Bernal is considered the most prominent candidate to replace Rodri’s absence. The player started the season as a key player before Rodri regained his fitness. Flick also relied on him against Paris Saint-Germain two weeks ago, preferring to rest the captain of the Spanish national team at the time in anticipation of the “El Clásico” match.
Bernal has good memories of facing Atletico Madrid, as he gave one of his best performances in a Barcelona shirt last season during the second leg before the Spanish King’s Cup final at Camp Nou, where he scored two goals from set pieces, which ignited the team’s hopes of achieving a historic comeback, even though it was not completed in the end.
However, Flick decided to exclude him from participating in El Clásico, preferring him to Dutchman Frenkie de Jong, who is gradually regaining his level and physical fitness.
De Jong is considered a strong competitor for this position alongside Pedri, as he started against Alaves, while he received limited playing minutes against English club Aston Villa in the Champions League.
After playing his 300th match in a Barcelona shirt, De Jong confirmed that he is in good physical condition, stressing that he is a midfielder, despite being employed as a center back during the match against Alaves.
Reports indicate that the Dutch star is Flick's preferred choice to fill this pivotal role in the midfield alongside Pedri within the (4-2-3-1) plan, thanks to his experience and ability to control the tempo of the game.
According to the Spanish newspaper’s report, there is also a third candidate, Gavi. Although his chances seem less, due to the lack of minutes he has participated in recently, he possesses characteristics that may prompt Flick to rely on him, such as his superior ability to extract balls, high pressure, and his passion for physical tackles.
It is noteworthy that Gavi had previously excelled in previous matches against Atletico Madrid as well, where he performed exceptionally at the “Riyadh Metropolitano Air” stadium in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals last season, and formed a successful duo with Pedri.
The two players have an innate understanding, as they were the first choice in the midfield, and their presence contributed to the resolution of the “El Clásico” match against Real Madrid, a confrontation that ensured the team won the title last season.
Gavi's presence also gives the team more ferocity in pressing, and the ability to neutralize Atletico's midfielders, led by Barrios.
Thus, Flick finds himself facing three different options: Bernal’s vitality, De Jong’s experience, and Gavi’s ferocity. His selection will determine the features of Barcelona's midfield in one of the most difficult tests of the season. Matches against Atletico are rarely decided by possession alone, but also require strength, fighting spirit, and tactical discipline.
