Getty Kristaps Porzingis has developed a special bond with Jaylen Brown.
Kristaps Porzingis is fitting in nicely in his first year with the Boston Celtics. The 7-foot-3 center from Latvia has made himself right at home with his new team, putting up big numbers on the court and meshing with his new teammates off it.
Porzingis has become especially close with Jaylen Brown, so close that Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston referred to their relationship as a “bromance.” Porzingis admitted the two were close and even told Forsberg they had a nickname for each other, but he left Forsberg hanging.
Kristaps Porzingis Feels Right at Home With the Boston Celtics
Porzingis was part of an offseason trade that initially didn’t make a whole lot of Celtics fans happy. The Celtics acquired Porzingis in a three-team deal that saw Boston ship out veteran guard Marcus Smart. Smart, a fan favorite in Boston, was considered by many as the heart and soul of the Celtics.
Porzingis endeared himself to those Boston fans right away. In the season opener against the New York Knicks, Porzingis scored 30 points and pulled down eight rebounds in a 108-104 victory.
Porzingis has been a perfect fit for the Celtics so far this season. Although he’s missed nine of the team’s 33 games, he’s thrived as a two-way player.
Offensively, he’s averaging 20.6 points and shooting 53.5% from the floor. He creates mismatches for opposing defenders with his strong post moves in the paint and his solid 3-point shooting.
With Jayson Tatum and Brown, among others, Porzingis is finally on a team that doesn’t need him to be the main guy. Even though he might be the third option on offense, he’s still averaging 20.6 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Porzingis said when he arrived, he was never worried about fitting in with his teammates.
“Honestly, it wasn’t a big concern of mine,” Porzingis told Forsberg on the “Celtics Talk” podcast. “I knew I would be able to get along with everybody. Everybody has been great with me.”
Porzingis Gets Secretive About His Relationship With Brown
Porzingis has developed a strong bond with Brown. The two live in the same apartment complex and frequently travel together. Porzingis said he never met Brown prior to coming to Boston.
Forsberg told Porzingis he was “fascinated by your friendship, bromance” with Brown and asked him when it all started.
“We didn’t know each other,” Porzingis said. “Just from playing against each other. No relationship prior to coming here. We’re pretty cool, and that is translating on the court.”
Forsberg asked what those car rides were like. He asked who was in charge of the radio and what the conversations were like.
“I’m always driving, so it’s my music,” Porzingis said. “We sit together on the plane, also.
“JB’s an interesting guy. He has a lot of different passions that he likes. Things I hadn’t even thought of. I like to just ask him some questions about stuff he has going on outside of basketball. It’s just easy and natural for us to get along.”
Forsberg suggested combining the two last names and making “BroZingis” the nickname for the two players, but Porzingis said they have a nickname for each other but wouldn’t reveal it.
“We have like an inside name,” Porzingis said as Forsberg begged for more info. “I’m not going to say it. It’s something and something.
“Fans come up with all kinds of funny names. I’m sure some spy will figure out what the inside name is.”