New York Knicks' Kristaps Porzingis has admitted that he is determined to prove himself in the NBA amid criticism he has faced since being drafted by the club.
The Knicks selected the 20-year-old with the fourth-overall pick in the Draft due to his displays for Cajasol Seville in the Spanish league last season.
However, the transition from leagues in Europe to the NBA have not always gone to plan, but Porzingis is hopeful that he will be one of the success stories.
He told Yahoo Sports: "There are guys who have had incredible NBA careers – like Dirk [Nowitzki] and the Gasols [Pau and Marc] – and there are guys who haven't. They'll say, this guy is a bust. He'll be [Nikoloz] Tskitishvili, this Georgian guy. [Andrea] Bargnani, Darko [Milicic].
"That's why I am talking, because I want the fear to go away with me. I want people to get to know me. I don't want to be the mystery man from Europe.
"Some fans – they don't want a European on their team. People have opinions, but maybe they've never seen me play. There's nothing I can say, only I can go out and prove myself."
Porzingis averaged 10.7 points per game for Seville last season.
Simon Sinclair
