Hugo Gonzalez Reveals How Real Madrid Stint Has Helped Him Excel With Celtics originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Celtics have enjoyed an unexpectedly successful 2025-26 campaign. There are several reasons for that being true, but one of the more under-the-radar contributors to this team has been rookie guard Hugo Gonzalez, who has immediately carved out a role in head coach Joe Mazzulla’s rotation, even with Jayson Tatum now being back on the court.
Advertisement
The No. 28 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, many folks figured that Gonzalez would spend most of his time this year in the G-League. Instead, he’s suited up for 66 of Boston’s games, showing off his potential in the process. After spending much of his youth career playing for Real Madrid in Spain, Gonzalez revealed just how big an impact the team and his former teammates have had on him as he’s transitioned to the NBA.
“There are people that help me a lot,” Gonzalez said when speaking to reporters recently. “Lucky for me, I’ve played with a lot of players that had (an) NBA career. Everybody got their own story, everybody got their own experience. And I was blessed that they were always really, really encouraged to help me and try to (help) me to be as good as I can.”
Gonzalez’s per-game numbers don’t jump off the page (4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.6 APG, 46.7 FG%), but his tenacity, particularly on the defensive end of the floor, has been tough to ignore. Despite being just 20 years old, Gonzalez isn’t afraid to mix it up with whoever he finds himself going up against, which has quickly won over Mazzulla.
There’s no doubt that Gonzalez’s game is still quite raw, but he’s done significantly more than fans could have realistically expected this year. With a playoff run looming, Gonzalez figures to remain a key piece of the rotation, and there’s no doubt that this experience under the bright lights should serve him well moving forward.
More NBA: Brad Stevens Makes Decision on Tar Heels Job Rumors
