Unlike in the US, where most prospects today arrive in the NBA after having cut their teeth in the AAU circuit followed by a stint at the collegiate level, many young European players turn pro at an age that might seem shockingly early for their American counterparts. But those players are also joining junior versions of the teams they are playing for in an academy setting, where they learn the skills and professionalism they will need to succeed in the sport, and Boston Celtics rookie forward Hugo Gonzalez credits the Real Madrid academy for having put him on the precipice of a career in the NBA with Boston.
Speaking at the Celtics’ Media Day proceedings for the 2025-26 NBA season, Gonzalez opened up about the role those academies played in setting him up for success. “It was blessed,” he recounted. “Almost every young player in Europe wants to go to the best academy.”
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“The best academy is Real Madrid,” the Madrid native recalled. “How they teach you to play, how they build you up as a person more than a player is something that I’m really happy with the decision that my parents took for me.”
Sep 29, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) talks with reporters during media day at the Auerbach Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
“I’m super grateful for them because they were everything for me since I was 10 years old,” added Gonzalez — and yes, you read that right; he’s been a pro in a sense before some US students are even done with elementary school. That dynamic has given the former Real Madrid standout an edge in terms of resilience, which he spoke about as well.
“Confidence is something that you have to build. You cannot be confident until you can see yourself out there,” said the Boston rookie. “I would say (it’s) nothing special. What they can expect that I’m going to be the guy that tries harder. It’s my responsibility, I’m always going to try to do it in the proper way. The things that I can control, I will try to be the best..”
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Given he does not sound like most rookies coming into the league, we have to think the European clubs might just be onto something here, though we like to think the Celtics also struck gold in terms of character.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez on how Euro academies prepped him for NBA