SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis announced he is stepping away from basketball to prioritize his health due to an undisclosed matter in a social media post on Friday.
Porzingis did not reveal the nature of the issue in a message posted on his X account, and the 31-year-old didn't make it clear as to whether he'll resume playing.
“I was really looking forward to running it with this group, but as I ramped up, my body didn’t respond the way I anticipated," Porzingis wrote.
“I’m doing good, but I know what it takes, and I’m not where I want to be to perform at the level I expect from myself,” he added. “At this point, I’ve made the decision to prioritize my health and step away from the game I love.”
Selected fourth overall by the New York Knicks in the 2015 draft, Porzingis was on his sixth team in 11 seasons.
The issue appears to date to last season when the Latvian missed significant time after being acquired by Golden State in a trade with Atlanta. The Warriors, however, fully anticipated Porzingis to be ready for this season after signing him to a two-year, $40 million contract in late June.
Porzingis’ status has been uncertain since late September, when the Warriors announced he would be out indefinitely with a health issue and not travel with the team to Hawaii for training camp.
On Oct. 14, the team said the Porzingis would spend time with staff and teammates in some capacity while still out indefinitely after he met with general manager Mike Dunleavy and Vice President of Player Health and Performance Dr. Rick Celebrini a day earlier.
A week later, the Warriors reversed course by saying Porzingis wasn't going to be with the team for “the immediate future,” with coach Steve Kerr failing to provide further insight ahead of the team’s season opener at the Los Angeles Lakers.
In his message, Porzingis said he intends to work with the Warriors to “find a solution that makes sense.”
He closed his message by writing: “I’m thankful to my family and close ones for always being there. Much appreciation to all of you for the support. Onwards and upwards.”
See AP’s full NBA coverage here
FILE - Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, April 10, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said on Friday that he has been discharged from the hospital after suffering a stroke last weekend and will miss “several weeks” of votes in the Senate as he recovers in a rehabilitation facility.
Murphy, 53, said in a statement that doctors are “very encouraged by the progress I've made so far" and that the stay at the rehabilitation center will get him back to work on the quickest timeline possible.
Murphy said doctors diagnosed him with a small hemorrhagic stroke, which is a bleed in the brain. He said he called 911 on Oct. 31 out of an abundance of caution after feeling that “something was not right” with his body.
“This has been a scary experience for me and my family, and I appreciate the continued respect for our privacy,” he said.
The press release updating Murphy's condition included a statement from Dr. Jose Suarez, chief of neurosciences critical care at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Suarez said the senator has shown tremendous progress and “we expect that he will make a full recovery following rehabilitation.”
In the Senate, Murphy serves on the Appropriations Committee and is a leading voice on immigration and gun policy. He is considered a contender for more senior leadership positions in the Senate and among the many Democrats seen as potential 2028 candidates for the White House.
Murphy said that he has been staying engaged with his team and colleagues remotely and that his staff continues to ensure the work of his office continues uninterrupted.
“I want to extend my deepest thanks to the excellent doctors and staff at Johns Hopkins who have treated me and cared for my family,” Murphy said.
Murphy had been traveling the country in support of House and Senate candidates as his party raced for majority control, which it secured in Tuesday’s midterm elections. A day before the stroke, he posted that he had been campaigning in his home state for Gov. Ned Lamont. The week before, he posted from Minnesota campaigning with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, the Democratic nominee for the Senate.
Lamont won reelection Tuesday, and Flanagan won her race, becoming the first Native American female U.S. senator.
The final sprint before Election Day capped Murphy’s whirlwind trip to the Middle East at the start of October for meetings with several leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In early September, Murphy completed his annual “walk across Connecticut,” covering about 70 miles (113 kilometers) over four days, talking with residents about their concerns along the way.
Three other Senate Democrats have had strokes in recent years.
Sens. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland had strokes in 2022 and have since recovered. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman had a stroke while campaigning for his seat that year and now uses adaptive technology in the Senate, including live captioning on a phone or tablet that transcribes words as people speak to him and helps him process the conversation.
Fetterman said on social media the day after Murphy's stroke that his family was “rooting for Chris and his family for a full and speedy recovery.”
FILE - Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., listens as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security oversight hearing, May 8, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
FILE - Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., questions Education Secretary Miguel Cardona during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 30, 2024, to examine the 2025 budget for the Department of Education. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
FILE - Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., speaks at the Capitol, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr., File)
