Kristaps Porzingis made his presence known in his Celtics debut, and New York media couldn’t help but show respect toward the 2015 fourth overall pick.
Boston beat the Knicks, 108-104, at Madison Square Garden thanks to 30 points from Porzingis, which was the most for a player making their Celtics debut. He also was the first player in NBA history to shoot five 3-pointers and block four shots in a team debut, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
The 28-year-old heard it from the MSG crowd throughout the night, and Porzingis admitted the profanities from the crowd motivated him even more.
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New York beat Boston in the sides’ last season opener two seasons ago, and the double overtime thriller spawned the “bing bong” meme from Knicks fans. The phrase is a reference to the warning sound at subway stations.
The New York Post called back to that meme in the Thursday morning back page when the publication went with the headline “Zing Bong.” Porzingis was referred to as “old pal KP” in the teaser, and Stefan Bondy’s lede for their game story was “An old enemy in new digs punished the Knicks on opening night.”
It was a fitting reaction for a publication renowned for its wacky headlines, and a solid start for the Celtics, who avoided starting up any new memes on opening night.
Featured image via Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports Images
