Luka Garza details life-threatening surgery and decision to join Celtics | View From The Rafters

Luka Garza details life-threatening surgery and decision to join Celtics | View From The Rafters

[Music] All right, one of Boston’s newest big man, Luca Garza, is in the house today. Meet View from the Raptors. View from the Raptors. Meet Luca Garza. We appreciate you coming on today. Um, what’s it been like just settling into Boston, man? We were just talking before we started recording. You’re living downtown in that area. How you enjoying it? I’m loving it. I love the city. We’re not going to tell the people exactly where you live. Yeah, exactly. I’ll give them my address right now. Uh, but you know, I’m from Washington DC, so I’m from the East Coast. So, it’s kind of really nice to get back to the East Coast. You know, I spent the last eight years of my life in the Midwest. So, I love the Midwest, but you know, I’m an East Coast guy, so it’s nice to get back in a big city. And, uh, already just the food, the people, and obviously the team and the organization. Um, it’s just been it’s been amazing. You mentioned food. You got to tell us like what’s the food? What’s the go-to so far? Oh, there’s a lot of spots. There’s a lot of spots. I’d say right now probably my favorite spot is Lola 42 and I like a little sushi. Yeah, it’s a good spot. All right. Was there last night? I’m not a big sushi guy, so I can’t join this conversation. Yeah. What is the transition like for you? You don’t like sushi? No, I’m not a sushi guy. I’m sorry. We got other options. Yeah, that’s true. We’ll cook the fish for you. No fish at all. I can’t eat raw foods. I just can’t. But okay, maybe I’ll for you. Maybe I’ll go and I’ll get some cooked sushi. There you go. All right. All right. What is the transition now that you’ve done it a few times? Coming into a new city, kind of trying to get the lay of the land, figuring out where’s the best place to be relative to the practice facility versus the arena and just kind of finding your way. Yeah, for sure. I mean, I think when you’re younger in the league, it’s a little different than, you know, now this is year five for me, so I’ve kind of like earned a level up. You know, I’ve always kind of live right by the practice facility and kind of prioritize that. Uh but now that I’ve I’ve gotten older older and just kind of you know want to enjoy the city especially when I’m moving somewhere new. Yeah. U you know I wanted to be you know I wanted to be in it and be in the city and uh you know moving here by myself too. So uh you know that made it uh you know that made it cool and you know it’s still nice nice drive here and and uh I can get here anytime. So nice drive here. You probably hit some like weird intersections and the roundabouts and all that stuff. the driving here. Yeah, I I I can’t understand some of the It was definitely built by the Europeans when they came over. It doesn’t make much sense. Well, I mean, no offense to drivers, too. It’s like everyone everyone just wants to leave their car in the middle of the road and put the lights on to think that’s okay. I don’t I don’t understand. I have to go around. I don’t know about that. I take on a Joe Missoula mentality when I’m driving and it’s like take no prisoners, create chaos, like war mentality. Warning to stay away from Abby on the road. Yeah. You got to be aggressive out there. Take control. That’s true. No, that space. You can get bullied out there real quick. I was Yeah, I’ve been in the Midwest too long. I was driving and just being too nice. People are like waving at you as I was sitting at a stop sign for an hour because people are just running right through it. So, yeah. So, when you talk about being here, obviously we just talked about like moving into the city, but organizationally, like what are you noticing that are some differences here after being here for a good chunk of time now? Like differences here to what you’ve experienced so far in your first two organizations you were with, Detroit and Minnesota for those of you who don’t know. Yeah, first I’d say just expectation. You know, when you walk in in the practice facility and you see all the banners, you know, that that just carries a a message in itself of just what you know what needs to happen here and and it’s to win. So, I think this is, you know, probably the first organization that’s had that kind of expectation. And I mean, obviously, it’s you know, the most championships in the NBA, so, you know, it’s the only organization that’s going to be like that at that level. Uh, so that’s number one. But I I think from the top down it’s just there’s so many incredible people and you know it’s it’s it’s a lot different in in in many different ways and and I think just the way Joe is the way he communicates and you know the the details that are kind of put into motion here and you know obviously with Brad and his you know beliefs and you know how everything goes. Uh it’s just it’s a cool mix that they have going on. Brad has mentioned and you talked about it too just he’s had his eye on you. He’s watched you and your career pretty closely. I mean, even from the college game, what were those conversations with him like, and why did you want to come to Boston? Yeah, I mean, I think it’s interesting. You know, people always tell you that every moment matters. You know, I had a draft work out here and, you know, interviews and different things like that. And, you know, I was one of many and I didn’t think too much of it. Didn’t hear much from Boston on draft night, but um, you know, here you come four years later and, you know, some of those some of those meetings, some of those interviews meant a lot more than, you know, even I thought in the moment. So, so he brought those up to you. I I think everyone kind of talked about I had a couple people come talk to me about my workout and stuff like that. So that was that was interesting. You know I think Brad had watched me even before that and uh you know had his eye on me in college as well and then just kind of seeing you know how I you know approached every single opportunity you know going through in Minnesota and even in Detroit. Uh but you know those initial conversations for me it was you know the chance to come here and play for this franchise but also the opportunity that was here was something that I haven’t had in my career yet. Um, you know, I’ve been fortunate to been on to be on really, really good teams, but especially with a lot of great big men and uh, you know, loaded front courts. Um, so I’ve kind of been behind, uh, you know, the eightball in terms of opportunities to play as much. So, u, you know, that was a priority for me when I had the chance to go into free agency was, you know, finding a place that, you know, has a belief in me and and a plan in place, but also u opportunity. You know, I wanted to get on the floor and show what I can do consistently. And I think they, you know, that’s something they were talking about from day one was like, you know, we’ve we’ve seen, you know, what you can do in pieces and at different points. You know, we love the mentality you bring and I think they wanted me to add to the culture, the championship culture that’s been here. I think there’s been so many amazing guys and examples of of guys that come in with the right mindset every single day. And and I knew I could I could shoulder that and be that because that’s, you know, who I am in general. So, uh, I knew I had that part taken care of. But, you know, it was definitely a priority to get be able to get on the floor. When you talk about those other guys that have kind of like set the example here, one guy who stands out who’s now in San Antonio is Luke Cornet, right? Like he came in here as I think he might have been exhibit 10 or definitely a two-way at times and then now he goes through this development program, winds up with a pretty significant contract out in San Antonio. as you went into free agency and you started talking here, was that in your mind at all of like seeing someone like that, a big man come through this development program and turn into what he is now? Like is that something you as a free agent think about? 100%. And as a as a person, as a player, I’m always looking towards example of people who do it the right way and kind of go through that grind of, you know, being in the G-League and, you know, make that example for me and kind of lead the path. And uh you know I think I had a couple great examples in Minnesota with Nas Reed guys like Nas Reed Nquille Alexander Walker who were G-League guys or Nquille who was kind of on his last you know leg with Utah and getting traded to Minnesota and you know at that point of his career he was in a little bit of a limbo but he took advantage of the opportunity and obviously just got paid this summer and you know we’ll never go back to that that point he was at and you know I think Luke Cornet is another great example guy who was in the league uh you know played for a lot of good teams um but then kind of you know had to work his way through Gely to get back into the league and you know obviously just he’s a great example um of how he carried himself and obviously the people you know love him here and you know he’s just he was a smart IQ guy and so I think there’s a lot of similarities that I see in terms of just the way he approached the game um obviously we’re different in a lot of ways as well. Um, but I think, you know, that’s anytime I can look at an example like that and see that, you know, for me that just means that it’s possible for me, too. And that’s something, um, you know, that I I embody and bring into in with me every single time I, you know, I walk on the court is knowing that if I take advantage of this opportunity that I can continue to develop and put myself in a great position. I guess I guess what I’m getting at is like not necessarily like the people that you’ve seen take those steps from where they were to where they are now, but like this particular development program has produced that. For sure. like does how much do you and your agent kind of talk about that stuff because Luke’s not the only one. Sam Hower, like there’s a pretty long list of guys who have really taken off. For sure. I mean, this organization has has built so many guys from that uh you know, from the G- League and just building them up over time or picking guys that, you know, they bring in that, you know, kind of weren’t u you know, coveted free agents and then kind of turning them into, you know, um guys that go into free agency as like a huge target. And so I think, you know, that’s all, you know, based on, you know, their development plan and what they do. And I I knew that as soon as I got here, just you know uh working with coach DMAC and coach Craig and and you know the development staff here uh you know right away just they had a plan for me and you know they this is what we see you as this we see you can be these are the areas you can improve on and for me that’s just that’s absolutely what I want just knowing u you know that there’s a plan in place but also that they have you know ideas suggestions all this kind of stuff and they’re going to push me and put me in the best position possible and I think you know the thing that you know um is different about here is I think different organ organizations, sometimes you won’t get put in the best positions, especially if you’re not a priority guy. But I think here, no matter who you are, 1 through 18, when you get on the court, you’re going to be put in the best position possible for you. You know, you’re not just fitting into a mold of another player. And that’s one difference that I’ve noticed here that I haven’t really experienced in any other place in my career. That’s cool to hear. But you and that entire group in the front court, largely unproven, but you guys are putting in the work as well to a man. You guys came in early. I mean, some as early as August and have been working together to get the most out of those opportunities once you’re on the floor. How unique is that and and how has it been developing that chemistry with that group? It’s been awesome. I think for us three, you know, we’re all at kind of similar points in our career, you know, guys that have have made the most of a lot of opportunities but haven’t gotten consistent opportunities at the level that we want to. Um, and so we all have a big chip on our shoulder and a lot of motivation. And we come in every single day with an approach and a mindset that, you know, we want to show that we can be, you know, a front court that can, you know, be among the best and that we can, you know, anchor the paint. we can get get our teammates involved with screening and and different things like that and then obviously show our individual ways of how we can impact the game and you know all of us bring different things to the table and I think we embrace those things and you know kind of uplift each other to make sure that we are all are going towards a common goal um and that’s winning and I think that’s the thing that’s emphasized here in this organization so much is that you know team success is you know what brings the individual success for every single person um and so you know that’s been a lot of fun you know and also you know They’re they’re great guys, too. You know, Xavier and me have been going at it since high school. Um, and and you know, Mbpa Top 100 camp and at the University of Virginia, you know, it was probably the first time I matched up against him, but seeing him in AA and the EBL, then at Michigan State, just battling with him, you know, um, but, you know, he’s one of one of my, you know, favorite competitors, guys I’ve ever been against. And, uh, Nimi is is the same way, too. you know, we probably haven’t matched up each other as much as me and X, but um any anytime I got the chance to get on the on the court and go against him, I I’ve I’ve loved that that competitive spirit he has and the energy he brings to the game. How much pressure are you guys feeling to be that for this team considering the losses and the changes that the Celtics went through this summer? You know, I think a lot of the pressure goes away when you spend years kind of waiting for that opportunity. you know, we’ve been chomping at the bit to to get out there and get on the floor and watching guys in front of us, knowing that we can help impact, knowing that we can help impact winning every single night and not getting the chance to. I think that removes a lot of the pressure, just knowing that we’re going to get out there and and do it. Um, and and you know, perform at the level that we know we can. Um, and just have a high level of motivation and energy every single time we step on the court and use that use that chip on our shoulder that we know that u, you know, this is this is an opportunity of a lifetime for all three of us. And so, uh, we’re going to make sure that we take advantage of it. And, you know, with that, it’s it’s hard to feel the pressure. That’s that’s impressive that you cannot feel the pressure in Boston. Yeah, that’s impressive. We’ll see if that stays the whole way. I mean, you do have an upbringing in your family where there is a championship mentality and there is a level, let’s just say it’s like you mentioned, yes, a standard that is required just to kind of show up to Thanksgiving, right? 100%. You must be a D1 athlete or a professional athlete. Like how many is it like eight or nine family members were either D1 or pro in some sport? It’s a lot, you know, mostly basketball. Yeah. My mother and her twin sister, my aunt were both professional basketball players. My uncle was a professional basketball player. My dad played in college, grandpa played in college. Uh all three of my cousins are pros right now. And uh you know, one played in the States for college. The other two just went right to being pros. And then my grandfather, my mother’s side, he was actually professional soccer player, goalie. He’s probably the most I was just counting on my fingers. I’m pretty sure that’s 10. He’s the most legendary of all of us. And you know, he passed, you know, when I was in college. But his example, especially when I was young, just how he carried himself as, you know, a champion, as a as a legend of the game, um, you know, in Europe, u, you know, was a was an example to me, all my cousins, and everyone in our family that we wanted to look towards someone like that could be that humble, carry himself in that way. um and also win and you know uh at a high level. Luka, what do what does Thanksgiving look like? I mean, they’re all international, so I know Thanksgiving isn’t necessarily the thing, but what do family get togethers look like? Do you guys get out on the court and Yeah. Well, when I was younger, you know, we used to go to Europe every summer and kind of everyone would be there. Um, and so that was when, you know, we were either playing basketball, you know, we my my grandfather had a cabin and there would be he built a basketball court like a little, you know, hoop on a tree and he put like a a basket, chain net, all that. So we would play outside, me and my cousins um, you know, so that’s the secret to getting to the pros is playing on the chain link net. Yeah. And there’s three of them. So two on two, you know, probably me and the younger one against the two older ones. They wanted to beat up on us, but uh, you know, we do that. we played soccer, you know, we do a b bunch of different, you know, games, activities, and all kind of challenging each other. Um, and so that was always awesome growing up. And then in in my household, my, you know, my dad held a level of standard for me, uh, you know, to approach every single day with that kind of mindset. And I think that’s that’s how I I have it now was just he was at everything. You know, he was one of those dads that was, you know, he didn’t miss an AEU practice. like he was at every single day I had something going on with basketball, he was right there watching and supporting me, but also um you know setting an expectation level that I don’t take any single day for granted anytime that I you know uh go on the court. So that helped me uh you know an extreme amount. So um you know he’s still a vital role in in my basketball career comes to pretty much you know he’ll be at every game this year probably and u you know so and and my mom will come as much as he can. What was it like on draft night? I mean, when I have to feel as a parent when they put in all that time and resources and effort and everything to help to bring you to where you are and then on draft night like you hear your name called. What was that like sharing that moment with them? Yeah, draft night is, you know, it’s a it’s a, you know, mixed bag of emotions, you know, for me. Um, you know, being a guy that I felt like, you know, I could have gone earlier in the draft. I felt like my workouts and, you know, my college career kind of reflected that, but you know, it just didn’t happen for me. And, you know, getting a call at the 52nd pick and, you know, I kind of was told on the phone by Troy Troy Weaver, who, you know, obviously gave me my first opportunity in the league, I will be forever thankful for him and what he did for me. But, you know, the call was, you know, we don’t really have room, but, you know, if you play well, we’ll make room. And so, you know, it was kind of a motivation right away to get to summer league, to go play, to show that I deserve to be here in this league. Uh, so it was kind of a mix. You know, obviously you take you take that second to hear your name and be like, “Wow, I’m in the NBA.” But now it’s like, let’s go get get let’s go get it. Let’s go after it. Um, but you know, I think for my parents especially, that moment was was huge. And uh, you know, I think for me, I didn’t get to enjoy it u, you know, probably as much as I should have. Uh, but you know, I’m glad I didn’t because I went into summer league with the right mindset and, you know, everything I did since then led me to this moment right here. So, well, we we’ve got to wrap up, but I can’t do it without asking you about this because this is insane. When I looked it up and I saw it when I was researching for this conversation, your sophomore year of college, you had a surgery. Yeah. To remove what? Like when I I was like, that’s got to be a typo. Hold on. Tell the people what happened when you were a sophomore. Yeah. So, honestly, it started back in my senior year of high school. I I kind of noticed there was a you know bump in my abdomen and I didn’t know you know what what it was and you know I kind of asked some questions and you know also just you know being a tough minded player I didn’t complain I didn’t feel much pain there I just kind of noticed it was a little weird and um you know one of the summer going in my sophomore year I I know started to notice pain in that area and you know we did a bunch of tests and you know there was a there was a cyst about the size of a collegiate volleyball go and it was like Yeah. 10 pounds and and I lost What? That’s crazy. I lost double digit pounds in surgery, but it was connected to my spleen. And so Oh my god. Wow. I didn’t know that part. Yeah. I’m very thankful. Thankful to God, thankful to everything that, you know, before that I hadn’t gotten elbowed or anything in that area because if it had ruptured, I would have died on the spot. So, um, you know, I’m, you know, very blessed and that moment kind of changed a lot for me. And it was the first time the game had ever been put in question in terms of how does this surgery go? Am I going to lose my spleen, too? Am I going to miss the whole year? Am I going to have to put basketball aside for a while? Or what is it going to be? So, that changed my perspective on a lot of things. You know, I was, like I said, was very blessed and favored to to be in the at the University of Iowa, one of the best surgeons kind of in this kind of specialty, in this realm, was at the Children’s Hospital. And um and so he was able to perform the surgery and everything went well. And you know, I think it was I didn’t miss a game that year. You know, four weeks later, five weeks later, I was there. Um, and you know, just speaking about my dad, you know, obviously I had to stay in the hospital and at first I couldn’t really walk or m do much. And you know, my dad stayed with me and was literally like, you know, carrying me to the shower, you know, making food for me, doing everything and just there with me every single step of the way. My whole family came and stayed with me in the hospital. all my teammates, coaches came and visited me and it was a big moment for me in a lot of different ways and and and I gained a lot of perspective and a lot of gratefulness and gratitude and helped me understand that, you know, uh to enjoy and make the most of every single moment you get. Well, I got to say that when I read this, when I was researching, all of those details were not in there. I didn’t know that you went through all that. That’s an incredible story and I’m glad that you were able to come out on the other side and now you’re sitting here with us on view from the rabbit. Congrats that you made it back and that you made it to the spot. We can’t wait to watch you all season long. Hopefully taking advantage of this incredible opportunity that you got. 100%. Thank you guys. We appreciate it, man. Good luck this season. Yep. Thank you.

Luka Garza grew up an East Coast guy, and after eight years in the Midwest, is excited to be back after signing with the Boston Celtics this past offseason. He explains what separated the Celtics from other potential suiters in free agency, including the fact that some members of Boston’s front office still remembered his pre-Draft workout from 2021. Garza also dives into the astonishing lineage of athletic success in his family, and opens up about a life-threatening surgery he underwent heading into his sophomore year of college that led to a 10-pound cyst being removed from his abdomen.

00:15: Living in downtown and settling into Boston
02:10: On the drivers in Boston
03:00: The Celtics have had an eye on Garza for a while
05:50: Attractiveness of the Celtics’ player development program
09:10: On the developing chemistry of the new frontcourt with Neemias Queta & Xavier Tillman
11:50: The lineage of athletic success in his family dating back decades
16:05: Reliving a life-threating surgery that led to a 10-pound cyst being removed from his abdomen

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