Hawks’ Kristaps Porzingis was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)

During the 2024-25 season, Kristaps Porzingis was a member of the Celtics. He played and started 42 of the team’s 82 regular-season games. During the playoffs, Porzingis was dealing with an unknown health condition. 

This limited his play and the effectiveness he had on the court for Boston. In the 2025 offseaosn, the Celtics traded Porzingis to the Hawks. In a recent interview, Kristaps Porzingis spoke with Fred Katz of The Athletic. The one-time NBA champion discussed that he was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Porzingis acknowledged that POTS was the reason he was so fatigued during the postseason.

Kristaps Porzingis shared that he was diagnosed with POTS

Kristaps Porzingis Reveals He Was Diagnosed With POTS https://t.co/Y6sE0k0ARD

— RealGM (@RealGM) October 22, 2025

First off, what is postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)? It affects the autonomic nervous system, which controls “involuntary body functions such as heart rate and blood pressure.” In POTS, the nerves that regulate blood flow throughout the body are out of balance. Certain areas of the body are not receiving the proper amount of blood flow. This results in varying conditions, such as a rapid heartbeat when going from lying down to standing up. These are the exact symptoms that Kristaps Porzingis had in 2024-25.

Kristaps Porzingis told Fred Katz that his heart rate would jump to 130 beats per minute when he stood up. Additionally, Pornizngis found himself getting quickly fatigued. That’s not an issue he had in the past. The one-time all-star knew something was not right with his body. Luckily, Porzingis did have the postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and has been working with doctors to properly manage his condition.

Kristaps Porzingis was dealing with POTS in the postseason, per The Athletic’s @FredKatz pic.twitter.com/VVLjH4DPiO

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) October 22, 2025

According to reports, Kristaps Porzingis is now on a high-salt diet. On top of that, he’s changed his rest schedule off the court to help battle POTS. In his interview with Fred Katz, Kristaps Porzingis discussed how difficult it was for him to compete in the playoffs. He said the extreme exhaustion “hit me, and it hit me like a truck.” The 30-year-old also noted that his breathing was labored.

In the months sicne the 2025 playoffs, Kristaps Porzingis was traded to the Hawks. Along with that, he received a diagnosis for a medical condition that limited him last year. Hawks fans should be encouraged to know that Porzingis played for Latvia in the 2025 EeroBasket and had zero issues. In a 138-118 loss to the Raptors to begin the 2025-26 season for Atlanta, Kristaps Porzingis had 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.