NBA player Kristaps Porziņģis shares POTS diagnosis

Earlier this week, professional basketball player Kristaps Porziņģis shared his diagnosis of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). 

The 30-year-old player began facing severe health challenges this spring while playing for the Celtics that made running and exercise extremely difficult. While standing at rest he said his heart rate could be as high as 130.

“It hit me, and it hit me like a truck,” Porziņģis told The Athletic. “The breathing wasn’t good. I did everything I could potentially to feel as good as I could, but my engine wasn’t running the way I wanted.”

POTS is one of many types of dysautonomia, an autonomic disorder which disturbs normal functions in the body, like heart rate. Common symptoms of POTS include a racing heart while standing, tachycardia, dizziness, headache, chest pain, fatigue, and more. It can be disabling, lifelong, and currently has no cure. 

Still, there are some medications and treatments that can help improve quality of life for some people, including hydration and electrolytes to maintain a better blood volume, compression garments, and more. Extreme heat can make POTS worse. It is often diagnosed through different tests including the NASA lean test or a tilt table test.

“You know how people say, ‘Oh, I’m so fatigued.’ I’ve never used those words. I don’t even like to speak in those terms, but I really was like that,” Porziņģis told The Athletic. “At that time, I could just lay on the couch and be a house cat.”

Other athletes and well-known performers have revealed POTS diagnoses, including swimmer Katie Ledecky, Solange Knowles, Halsey, soccer player Matt Pacifici, and hockey player Roman Josi. 

The syndrome commonly occurs after viral or bacterial infections, like SARS-C0V-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. POTS is not caused by deconditioning. Many people with Long COVID have been diagnosed with POTS and other forms of dysautonomia, and it can overlap with other infection-associated chronic conditions like myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Long COVID can affect anyone, and there is some research showing why athletes may be particularly vulnerable.

One massive study including the electronic health records of 65 million people published this year found that the incidence rate of POTS increased five-fold from before the pandemic through 2024. Cardiologists and other medical providers have also reported significant increases in the diagnosis. With some studies showing that around a third of people with Long COVID have POTS, it is likely many millions have the syndrome as around 30 million people may have Long COVID in the U.S. alone.

Porziņģis did not disclose a Long COVID diagnosis in this week’s interview.

Brad Stevens, the president of basketball operations of the Celtics, said this past May that Porziņģis was battling “post-viral syndrome” after an initial infection in March 2025. In a statement the Celtics, the team Porziņģis played at the time described his illness as an “upper respiratory and non-COVID illness.” 

Still, The Athletic did not mention the broader context in the rise of POTS cases since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in a follow-up explainer on POTS. Instead, the publication wrote that it can be caused by “significant illnesses,” omitting any mention of COVID-19 or its association with Long COVID. 

Earlier coverage of Porziņģis sickness described it as a “mystery illness,” a common framing and erasure of Long COVID and POTS despite significant research into the diagnoses.

The publication also overly simplified treatments for POTS saying the “ two main forms of treatment are exercise and physical activity.” While some studies have shown people with sole POTS diagnosis can improve with exercise, it isn’t one size fits all treatment, especially for people with Long COVID. For some people with post-exertional malaise who have POTS, it can make their baseline worse. 

It is also not a cure as POTS. 

Porziņģis said he resumed playing basketball this summer “without issue” and The Athletic stated, “[Porziņģis] doesn’t believe POTS will be an issue moving forward.” He is currently managing the illness with a high-salt diet and rest.

People with Long COVID and POTS who participated in a canceled clinical trial recently wrote about how the drug trialed, an infusion called Vyvgart, helped improve their POTS symptoms and quality of life. The group of over 50 people are now demanding the federal government fund another trial for people with Long COVID and POTS.