Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis is undergoing surgery for a rare leg injury

Center Kristaps Porzingis, who suffered a rare left leg injury as the Boston Celtics claimed their record-breaking 18th NBA championship, will undergo surgery “in the coming days” and will miss the Olympics, it was announced Tuesday.

Porzingis suffered a torn retinaculum and a dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on June 9. He missed Games 3 and 4, but returned in Game 5 as the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks to win the title.

He had hoped to postpone the procedure until after competing for the Latvian national team in Paris, but the Celtics said in a statement that the injury “does not allow for consistent play at the level required for Olympic competition.”

A timeline for Porzingis’ return has yet to be determined, but a source told ESPN earlier this month that the recovery process could take a “few months.”

Porzingis, who was acquired by Boston after the Celtics lost to the Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference finals, averaged 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds for the Celtics during the regular season. He suffered a calf injury in Game 4 of Boston’s first-round series against Miami, but returned in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.