The Latvian national basketball team will have a chance to compete in the 2016 Rio Games in July. They will play in a qualifying tournament in Serbia for a chance to reach Rio. Needless to say, they would like Kristaps Porzingis to join them.
Barbara Barber at Newsday reports that the Knicks are hoping that Porzingis declines and stays in New York this summer:
If Knicks interim coach Kurt Rambis has his way, Latvia will be competing without its best player. Instead, Kristaps Porzingis will be busy lifting weights and working on his conditioning in Greenburgh, New York.
“If I had my choice, I think it’s obviously what I would want,” Rambis said Friday after the Knicks’ practice at Georgetown University. “I understand players’ commitments to their country and their desire to play for their country. But from a selfish standpoint, looking at it purely from a Knicks standpoint, yeah, we’d want him here working with us the whole time [in the summer].”
Porzingis, however, has yet to make his final decision:
“It’s still up in the air,” he said. “Right now, trying to focus on the season. Once the season is over, I will have some time to make a decision. Sit down with family and my agent. We’ll make that decision. It’s an important thing for Latvia. I’m a proud Latvian, and I want to represent my country. So I have to really think about it and make a decision.”
It’s going to be an important season for Porzingis as he prepares for his second-year campaign. The Knicks want him making that next progression as a potential star, and they want him close. It’s also a matter of potential injury when it comes to foreign players competing with their countries during the Olympics. This will be in an interesting decision for Porzingis because of the implications of loyalty to his country or the Knicks. Of course, he wants to show loyalty to both, but ultimately one will have to prioritize over the other.
