Video: Kristaps Porzingis Greeted with Loud Boos by Knicks Fans in MSG Return

New York Knicks fans did not welcome Dallas Mavericks forward/center Kristaps Porzingis back to Madison Square Garden with open arms Thursday.   

Bleacher Report's Master Tesfatsion captured the arena's reaction to Porzingis' pregame introduction:

Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that fans showered Porzingis with loud "KP sucks" chants. ESPN's Malika Andrews also tweeted fans screamed "traitor" and "go back to Latvia" during the national anthem.

The Knicks picked Porzingis fourth overall in the 2015 draft, and the 7'3" Latvian soon became a fan favorite during a rookie year in which he averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.

His production steadily rose through 2017-18, when he was picked for the NBA All-Star Game and averaged a team-high 22.7 points.

Unfortunately, Porzingis' season ended prematurely on Feb. 6, 2018 after he suffered a torn ACL following a dunk against the Milwaukee Bucks, forcing him off the court for the remainder of the year. 

The relationship between the Knicks and Porzingis quickly soured, however, to the point that the big man requested a trade on Jan. 31, 2019, per team brass.

ESPN provided a brief rundown of the history between team and player:

"There's been a significant disconnect between Porzingis and Knicks management in recent years, and it culminated in Thursday's meeting. Porzingis expressed concerns on the state of the franchise and his future with the organization, sources said.

"... The 23-year-old Porzingis and his brother Janis, who is his agent, met with Knicks management on Thursday morning and discussed his frustration with the franchise's losing, its past dysfunction and his own uncertainty over creating sustainable organizational success, sources said."

The Knicks soon dealt Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks, who signed him to a five-year, $158 million deal during the 2019 offseason. He returned to the court following a 20-month hiatus at the beginning of this season.

Porzingis may not mind the poor reception, as he's clearly in a better spot in Dallas. He's averaging 18.3 points and 7.9 rebounds on a 6-4 Dallas Mavericks team on the rise alongside early MVP candidate Luka Doncic. Meanwhile, the Knicks entered Thursday with an Eastern Conference-worst 2-9 mark.

The Knicks and Mavs are not scheduled to play again in the 2019-20 regular season after Thursday.