Shams Charania: Sources: Latvia’s Rodions Kurucs will remain in the 2018 NBA draft. The 6-foot-10 forward keeps name in draft after testing and withdrawing a year ago.
Latvia Rumors
Kristaps Porzingis moved well and without a limp as he walked onto the court Saturday night. It was a good sign for a franchise desperately in need of one. Porzingis, who is nearly two months removed from undergoing surgery to repair a torn left ACL, didn’t seem to be favoring the leg as he made his way to center court at Madison Square Garden. Porzingis said hello as he whisked by reporters. He didn’t stop because someone far more important was waiting. Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis was in attendance on Latvian Heritage Night. Porzingis presented Vejonis a personalized jersey and sneakers before the game. The two shook hands and posed for photos.
Al Iannazzone: Kristaps Porzingis is attending his second game since tearing his ACL. It’s Latvian Heritage night at MSG. The president of Latvia Raimonds Vejonis is here also. He and Porzingis shook hands at midcourt.
Ian Begley: It’s Latvian Heritage night at Madison Square Garden. We’ve already seen several Latvian National Team jerseys. Kristaps Porzingis is expected to be on hand tonight.
Is your aim to play for Latvia in the World Cup Qualifiers during the June/July and September 2018 windows? Kristaps Porzingis: Yes, I’d love to. I had a great time last summer and I want to repeat the experience. I’m looking forward to playing with my teammates again and trying to help Latvia qualify for the World Cup. That’s a goal for us and for Latvian basketball, and we all want to give our best to qualify and travel to China to compete on the world stage.
Mindaugas Kuzminskas: Such a weird feeling watching Lithuanian National Team on TV.. can’t wait to play on that team again. Go @musukrepsinis! #mesuzlietuva #kuuuz P.S. Sorry @Kristaps Porzingis all the pictures I have are with you..😂
Anthony Randolph, a blink in the past of Knicks basketball (he spent most of his NBA career in Denver and Minnesota), plays for Slovenia, the team that eliminated Latvia from the European Championships on Wednesday. The Knicks past and future got into a little scrape at the end of a physical game Wednesday at EuroBasket, which started with a cheap shot from Randolph, and Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders has the video. After the game, Porzingis said Randolph had played dirty all game. Via Eurohoops.net. “He was playing dirty from the beginning. He was trash talking. What happened in the end was natural,” the New York Knicks big guy said.
