Kristaps Porzingis joins Mike Gorman and Brian Scalabrine on the broadcast to discuss how he’s grown as a player over the course of his career

Big man Kristaps Porzingis of the Boston Celtics met with Mike Gorman and Brian Scalabrine of NBC Sports Boston during the team’s In-Season Tournament game against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night to talk about his career thus far.

In his eighth season, the former fourth overall pick has averaged 18.9 points on 54.7 percent shooting, 6.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game. He was a key component of Boston’s early success. After being selected by the New York Knicks at the 19th round of the 2015 NBA Draft, Porzingis was jeered on draft night. Since then, he has matured both on and off the court.

“You know, I was just 19 when I joined the league,” Porzingis remarked. “[I was] selected by the New York

Porzingis swiftly made fans regret jeering him on draft night with the Knicks. The youthful center, who placed second in the Rookie of the Year voting, averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.3 assists per game. He also had a remarkable 33.3 percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc.

Following three seasons with the Knicks, Porzingis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in a sensational deal that paired Luka Doncic and Porzingis, two of the league’s top foreign players, on the court. In his three years with the Mavericks, Porzingis averaged 20 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.7 blocks. Despite his continued exceptional play, the big man struggled with injuries, which led to the Mavericks trading him to the Washington Wizards.