Former Hawks big man Kristaps Porzingis says he’ll ‘step away’ from basketball

Kristaps Porzingis, who has been dealing with health issues for the past couple of seasons, announced Friday he is stepping away from basketball.

Porzingis, a 7-foot-2 former All-Star, played 17 games with the Hawks last season before being dealt to the Warriors at the trade deadline for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield.

“This season 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 posted to his X account (formerly Twitter). “I’m doing good, but I know what it takes, and I’m not where I want to be to perform at the level that I expect from myself. A t this point, I’ve made the decision to prioritize my health and step away from the game I love.”