Kristaps Porzingis (Sports Illustrated)

In a season worth forgetting, one member of the Knicks continued to make an impact on the court… and it wasn’t even during a regular season game.

Kristaps Porzingis won the 2017 NBA Skills Challenge last night in New Orleans. It was another productive weekend for the 21-year old forward, as he had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the World Team in the Rising Stars Challenge the night before. Porzingis beat Utah Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward in the finals.

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The NBA added a new rule last year, allowing big men to compete in the Skills Challenge. As a man who is 7′ 3″, one would assume Porzingis would have trouble with his consistency in this competition. Just like DJ Khaled always state’s in his song, nothing could stop him last night.

Speaking to the media, Porzingis stated how much the win meant to him, and what it meant for kids watching around the world. Porzingis stated (Courtesy of Newsday):

“It’s a good feeling that I’m able to showcase my skill with my size and show to the kids that you’re capable of doing that even if you’re tall and lanky like me. I think a lot of kids now growing up will improve those perimeter skills just seeing guys like — I don’t want to mention myself — but big guys with perimeter skills that can do it.”

The fact that he can boast this accomplishment is another reason why the Knicks hit the jackpot at the 2015 NBA Draft. When the Knicks had the 4th pick, they chose a Latvian who nobody ever heard of. Now, Kristaps Porzingis is one of the hottest New York sports stars of the past few years. While he has a lot of work to do before he could be considered one of the greats, Porzingis is breathing some fresh air into a deflated franchise.

What makes this accomplishment entertaining is that a title will be coming home to New York, just not the one everyone was hoping for. That doesn’t mean people can’t have fun with it:

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Regardless, with all of the drama surrounding the Knicks this season, whether its regarding Carmelo Anthony, Phil Jackon, James Dolan or Charles Oakley, it’s nice to know there is one bright star out there looking to make a difference. Here’s hoping Porzingis can bring some of that luck back to the Knicks when the regular season resume’s on Thursday.