Upon taking the job in May 2018, New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale visited Kristaps Porzinigis in his native Latvia and attempted to establish a relationship. All seemed fine, aside from the miscommunication on Porzingis’ ACL rehab, until the quick January trade that sent him to the Dallas Mavericks.
On Friday, Fizdale appeared on ESPN Radio’s The Michael Kay Show and revealed his initial thought process on the Porzingis trade, which “really surprised” him (h/t Bleacher Report).
Given Fizdale’s attempt to create a relationship with Porzingis, and the 7-foot-3 Latvian’s presence at home games, maybe that played into the head coach’s reaction.