"It wasn’t perfect on either side but Phil Jackson was there" - Kristaps Porzingis reflects on his ups and downs with the Knicks

Former New York Knicks president Phil Jackson holds a special place in Kristaps Porzingis' heart for a reason. Under Jackson's guidance and support, Porzingis could showcase his skills and passion for the game as a Knick.

As he looked back at his time with the Knicks , "Zinger" remembered both the good and the bad. Porzingis confided that despite the negatives, he would always be indebted to "The Zen Master" for believing in his immense potential and abilities.

"It wasn't perfect on either side but Phil Jackson was there at the time, and I'm nothing but grateful for him to have the [courage] to draft me with the fourth pick and give me the opportunity to play in New York," Porzingis told NBA.com last year.

Kristaps and the Knicks weren't on the same page

Porzingis had a great three-year stint with the Knicks as far as playing goes. In his third season in New York, the Latvian big man was already an All-Star, averaging 22.7 points per game before suffering an ACL injury.

While everything seemed promising for Porzingis on the court, the same couldn't be said about what went down off of it. Reports claimed that "Unicorn" was quickly turning into a diva and wanted to become a one-man show in New York. Porzingis had unsurprisingly denied such narratives in the past and believes he has no reason to delve into it now.

For Kristaps , whatever happened in New York was already water under the bridge, and if there's one thing he often regretted about his time as a Knick, it wasn't the off-the-court drama. Instead, Porzingis said it was the unfortunate injury that derailed him.

"I don't want to go into too much detail, but how things went with the communication wasn't my style. My style would be different with whatever needed to be done. Maybe it was nothing. My style would've been different either way. But I was wrong. I was going with the flow," Porzingis pointed out.

"If I didn't get hurt in New York, you never know how things could've gone. But I can't keep living with this feeling of regret. I have to keep moving forward," he added.

New York gave Kristaps an eye-opener

The Knicks fans are known for appreciating undeniable basketball skills. That said, it was no surprise that Porzingis instantly became a fan favorite as he captivated The Garden faithful with his unique blend of size, skill, and charisma.

Despite the challenges and issues he faced during his tenure with the Knicks, Porzingis doesn't deny that there is a part of him that still misses playing at the Madison Square Garden. However, "Zinger" concluded that as much as he loves the Knicks fans, he had come to realize that it was about time for him to explore new opportunities and experiences outside The Big Apple.

"Just playing in The Garden, getting that love from the fans and the support. It made me appreciate every person that asked for a picture or an autograph. I appreciated that way more when I was hurt," Porzingis reminisced.

"It was intense. It's the biggest stage you can play on. You go from being loved by everybody to [the opposite] all of a sudden. I'm not going to lie. I missed it. But that's the reality. That's what made me think this is not going to be forever, so I better figure out who I am without that," he added.

A new beginning in Beantown

After parting ways with the Knicks, Porzingis had an impressive stint with the Dallas Mavericks and a brief stop with the Washington Wizards. Ahead of the current season, Porzingis found a new home with the Boston Celtics .

Kristaps' addition to the C's has unsurprisingly bolstered the team's frontcourt. He also provided some added offensive spark that helped make Boston the No. 1 team in the league this season. He finished his debut season in Beantown, averaging 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.

While Porzingis appears to be a great fit for the Celtics, nothing is concrete yet, and there's still a possibility that Boston may not be his final stop. Despite that, it is safe to say that as early as now, Porzingis is already poised to make a significant impact in the storied franchise and write another memorable chapter in his already impressive NBA career.

Although his time with the Knicks had its ups and downs, Porzingis once gave the team hope and sparked excitement among its fans. In retrospect, it's kind of hard to tell which one is to blame for Porzingis and the Knicks' falling out.

Some could say it's Porzingis' injury and attitude, while others could attribute it to the Knicks' free agency strategy. However, the only thing we can all conclude is that at one point, Porzingis became a cornerstone player for the Knicks.

Related: "Communication on both our parts should have been better" - Kristaps Porzingis explains why his partnership with Luka Doncic didn't work out