Luka Garza (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Five years in the past, Luka Garza was on high of the faculty basketball world as a consensus All-American and a two-time Men’s National Player of the Year. As a senior with the Iowa Hawkeyes, he and his staff have been getting ready to tackle upset-minded Grand Canyon in Indianapolis to tip off the NCAA Tournament.
The Hawkeyes gained that recreation 86-74, then misplaced to Oregon within the second spherical, marking the tip of Garza’s illustrious collegiate profession. Iowa didn’t attain the heights this system aspired to in his time spent there, however between the information, accolades, and accomplishments, he seems again on these days of the Fran McCaffery period fondly.
“I think they’re just memories you’re going to have for a lifetime,” Garza informed RG in an unique interview. “Especially the experience of being in one place for four years and kind of growing and developing relationships with obviously teammates, but coaches, and just people around campus and stuff like that. So, they’re memories I hold really dear.
“I mean, a lot of big moments. Obviously, college became weird with COVID and all that, but I think it almost brought our team closer. We just spent a lot more time with each other. Definitely some of the most fun moments of my life.”
Garza is considered one of 9 gamers in Iowa males’s hoops historical past to have his jersey number retired, and for good motive. He holds the report for essentially the most factors (2,306) and offensive rebounds (342), in addition to the very best field-goal proportion (54.6%) within the Hawkeyes’ books.
It was a spot the place he matured as a participant and an individual, staying in the identical place that received him to the dance. The NCAA’s switch portal standards have been modified when Garza was on the way in which out of Iowa, and Name, Image, and Likeness guidelines have been launched simply months after he graduated. So, for him and the category of 2021, it’s virtually as if it have been the final of an period.
But that quantity of development and improvement in that span is one thing he’s utilized to his winding, twisting NBA profession, and it has in the end helped him land with the championship-contending Boston Celtics.
“I can’t speak for everyone else’s personal situation. But for me, people ask me all the time if I wish I played in this era to make money in college, and I’m kind of glad I didn’t have to have that choice or have to think about transferring,” Garza stated.
“I think what got me to where I am today is my ability to develop within a system, and over four years playing for Fran, and as he taught me, just kind of guided me through that. I think every year I took a step and got better and better.
“We sucked my freshman year. I averaged 12 a game. A lot of people at that point in time, especially now, probably would’ve hopped into the transfer portal and transferred, whereas I stayed and kind of got better, had a little bit more of a role, and then obviously my junior year was when everything kind of changed for me. But would that have happened somewhere else? You never know. “
Playing His Part
Nowadays, as his Hawkeyes get set for March Madness, Garza is enjoying his most successful individual pro season with the Celtics, who are picking up steam and readying for the NBA Playoffs in a month. In a career-high 59 games played, the fifth-year big man is averaging 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds on 68.0% True Shooting, all personal bests.
Garza’s brought a lot of pop coming off Joe Mazzulla’s bench, whether it’s been in high pick-and-roll and hand-offs, providing extra possessions, or knocking down the three-ball at a 43.6% clip. Albeit not the high-usage, offensive machine he was with Iowa, this is a productive version he’s proud of, and it’s helped Boston win.
“Every summer, I dedicate myself, and even during the season, to improving myself, especially in the seasons where I didn’t play as much,” Garza stated. “That’s my main focus: getting better. I think, especially in the NBA, you’ve got to be able to adapt and change your game or mold it to find a way to have an impact on great teams.
“So for me, that impact is a little different than it was in college. Not playing as much back to the basket, not having the ball in my hands every possession like I did. But I think I’ve found ways to be extremely effective through screening, through offensive rebounding, and through scoring when the ball is in my hands in different moments. Picking and popping, shooting, stretching the floor. Adding the slow step, other stuff into my game has really helped me. And so, yeah, I definitely developed, and I’m a lot better than I was back then.”
It has been something however simple for Garza to get to this level.
The Detroit Pistons drafted him in 2021 with the No. 52 decide late within the second spherical and threw him into the hearth early as a two-way contract participant. After a season with them, the Minnesota Timberwolves inked him to the identical deal after 2022 coaching camp.
Garza wrecked store with the Iowa Wolves that yr, averaging 30.7 factors, 10.1 rebounds, and three.5 assists as a G League All-Star. He spent two campaigns with Minnesota’s group beneath these two-way phrases earlier than his contract was transformed to an ordinary one in July 2024. After his third marketing campaign with them got here to an in depth final offseason, the Celtics introduced him in.
Finally, being a big piece to a bunch aspiring to go all the way in which, Garza’s present state of affairs is a testomony to his arduous work and perception.
“It’s been incredible,” Garza stated. “Obviously, this season has been the most opportunity I’ve had in my NBA career so far, but I think all the years before that kind of prepared me for this, just learning how to stay ready at all costs and then extreme situations. There were times in Minnesota, I did play the first 40 games a year, and then someone would go down, or whatever would happen, I’d have 10 games in a rotation.
“So that kind of built my mindset to be prepared and ready. And then obviously, coming here with the opportunity I had, I knew I had to take advantage of it. I was excited for it. I wanted the ability to have a runway and be able to go out there and play my game. I’ve been patient for a long time, just kind of waiting and grinding and doing all the right things, and that pays off over time.”
Why The Celtics Click
Standing at 46-23 because the second seed within the Eastern Conference, Boston knew it might be relying on gamers like Garza and his younger teammates to step up and assist mainstays like Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser earlier than the yr began.
Between buying and selling two starters to shed wage and a significant harm to Jayson Tatum, many on the skin chalked 2025-26 as a niche yr for the Celtics. Not anyone in that locker room, although.
“It’s a cool team to be a part of, especially when we have so many guys that were kind of unproven at the start of this year,” Garza stated.
“So we all had a mindset, not only just individually to do that, but also collectively to show that we could prove ourselves through winning, and winning at a high level.
“And so, I think, that’s been pretty special being part of this group. And then now, obviously, bringing back one of the best players in the world, it’s exciting for all of us to continue to kinda go on this run and figure out how we can be as good as we can.”
Garza credit Boston’s teaching employees for getting essentially the most out of the fellows. It’s simple to have a look at him, Neemias Queta, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, and Jordan Walsh as prime examples of what it takes to keep prepared so that they don’t have to prepare.
“We do have a lot of great coaches who understand the game at a high level and push us in the right ways and kinda put you in a good spot,” Garza stated. “I think that’s helped. They put us out there.
“But at the end of the day, all of us are just guys who’ve worked hard our entire careers and wanted the chance to show it, but haven’t necessarily had the opportunity to. And so, when that time comes, luck, opportunity, timing, that’s a recipe for success.”
Because there’s all the time a numbers recreation, rotations will shorten within the playoffs. That could imply fewer minutes or duties. But Garza and Boston’s youth have carried out their job by giving the Celtics a shot at this factor, enjoying the best method, and accepting the problem down our bodies.
So, regardless of the way it shakes out, Garza is definite that he may help the Celtics when his title known as within the postseason – simply as he has been.
“No.1, just my energy as I go into the game,” Garza stated.
“I think being able to go in a game and change the energy of it is an important thing. I think the ways I do that are through my screening, most importantly, getting guys open, getting guys to their spots.
“Especially when you have players who are guarded the way they are, talking about the ball handlers we have, and so being able to create advantages for them, which in turn creates advantages for everyone else, including me. And then also, just kinda my offensive rebounding, rebounding in general, and just my overall IQ.”
