The tedious, eager-filled process of earning an organization’s trust lies at the forefront of every rookie’s list of challenges stepping into the NBA. Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez, however, is among the most prepared.
He’s already weathered the grind of playing behind a revolving door of elite talent, including teammates with NBA pedigrees. Gonzalez wasn’t even legally old enough to drink when he debuted as a professional hooper for Real Madrid in the Liga ACB at just 16 years old. As the fourth-youngest player to ever suit up for the team, Gonzalez scraped together only four appearances, averaging less than two minutes a night.
Now, there aren’t many situations the 19-year-old can’t navigate around Boston’s rewarding — and sometimes unforgiving — atmosphere.
Boston selected Gonzalez with its lone first-round selection in June’s 2025 NBA Draft at No. 28. The 6-foot-6 wing was fresh off riding the continuous wave of sporadic playing time for Real Madrid, but the flashes were deemed enough for Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens.
“He’s tough, he’s hard-playing, he cuts, he goes after the ball, he competes,” Stevens said on Draft Night, per NBC Sports Boston. “He’s got all the intangibles of a winning basketball player. There’s things he can get better at, just like everybody else at that age, but competitiveness is at a high level.”
Stevens continued: “When you are that age, in that situation (with Real Madrid), you gotta earn your stripes. When we took our team (to Spain) years ago in the preseason, we played against a 16-year-old (Luka) Dončić that hardly got in, right? Hugo’s a little bit older, and I’m not comparing him to Dončić, but I will say it’s great when you get to play for those teams. When you put on a Real Madrid jersey, you put on a responsibility similar to here, and I think that that’s a good thing.”
Sharing the floor with experienced NBA veterans Serge Ibaka, Facundo Campazzo, Dennis Smith Jr., and Bruno Fernando, Gonzalez averaged just 3.1 points and 1.7 rebounds while shooting 40.8% from the floor. The hustle-first sparkplug logged 10.2 minutes through 69 games, but Gonzalez’s patience and unseen work ethic introduced themselves once the opportunity arrived at his doorstep.
Gonzalez wasted no time showcasing his heady instincts when called upon by coach Matt Reynolds in Summer League back in July. He corralled an offensive rebound off a missed Baylor Scheierman 3-pointer, sprinting from the top of the key to beat out three Memphis Grizzlies before scoring a putback layup. It was Gonzalez’s first standout highlight in his first Summer League appearance, validating Stevens’ assessment of the young prospect. He finished with 12 points, four rebounds and five assists en route to a 92-78 victory over Memphis.
And while most fans tuning in were too busy Googling Gonzalez’s overseas stats and scouting reports, those within the Celtics locker room knew what to expect from the rookie.
“He plays hard — really hard,” Jordan Walsh said three days before the Summer League opener, per CLNS Media. “So, fans are gonna love that. He plays hard. He dives on the floor. He’s a defensive menace, and then he attacks the rim with force. I think everyone knows that, but it was my first time seeing him play and be able to watch it and go against it.”
Gonzalez played 26 minutes a game across four Summer League contests for the Celtics, averaging 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 30.2% shooting from the field and 30.4% shooting from three. His Las Vegas highlight reel showed promise. Gonzalez was frequently engaged on both ends of the floor, making plays left and right with an Energizer Bunny-like motor while also knocking down an occasional 3-pointer — surely something that caught head coach Joe Mazzulla’s eye.
There isn’t a guaranteed role awaiting Gonzalez’s TD Garden arrival — and that’s fine. Circumstances dating back to Jayson Tatum’s torn Achilles tendon in the team’s Eastern Conference semifinals, coupled with an offseason yard sale, help crack open a valuable window of opportunity. Boston needs depth, and that requires Mazzulla to get creative to maximize the team’s depleted roster, which should favor Gonzalez, similarly to when Scheierman became a sparkplug sensation amid his career-best 20-point performance last season against the Brooklyn Nets.
Without Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday, the Celtics are going to have to squeeze every ounce of juice possible out of the roster, and Gonzalez’s makeup is well-suited to help make that happen. Boston has a keen eye for spotting late first-rounders capable of delivering an impact that goes under-appreciated in the box score, just like last season’s Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard — the 26th overall pick in 2020.
Gonzalez isn’t walking into a situation where talent is overflowing and minute distribution is up for serious debate. Beyond Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Anfernee Simons and Pritchard, the rest of the crew is essentially a blank canvas for Mazzulla and the coaching staff to shape. Therefore, regardless of what Gonzalez’s role looks like on Opening Night, it shouldn’t be interpreted as a definitive measure for role or potential. At just 19, he’s back to being too young to drink (in Spain, the legal drinking age is 18), yet he’s already amassed years of experience playing with and against professionals — including former NBA players — along with traits that have historically assisted players of all calibers to thrive in a Celtics uniform.
Those intangibles alone, which drew the attention of Stevens and Boston’s brass, are sure to book Gonzalez both minutes and applause from TD Garden’s crowd throughout the season.
“We’re pretty, pretty excited,” Gonzalez said, per team-provided video. “Especially being drafted by a really good franchise, a really good situation. Being drafted by Boston was really good and new for me, and I’m excited for it.”
Teammates, including Walsh and Scheierman, have already offered their praises to Gonzalez after receiving just a glimpse of what the Celtics could have on their hands in the coming years. The roster might be in flux, but one thing is clear: Gonzalez is intriguing and worth keeping an eye on. He’s young, energetic, willing to accept the ebbs and flows that come with developing as a pro, and is off to a head start on leaving a strong first impression amongst those within the organization.
If that all translates once it’s time to hit the parquet, Gonzalez could mold into a sneaky surprise for Boston.
