Nervous is not likely the word most people would have used to describe rookie Boston Celtics forward Hugo Gonzalez when he hit a miracle game-salvaging shot in overtime to help the Celtics beat the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week. But the Madrid native recently admitted in an interview with Gigantes de Basket that nerves have been a constant, if anything, over the course of his pro career.
And for the casual Boston fan, hearing about ‘the course of his pro career’ may sound weird for a rookie in the league, but Gonzalez has been playing as a pro in Europe for Real Madrid since he was 12 years old in the youth and then adult leagues. The first-year Celtics wing opened up about what it felt like when he played for Boston the first time.
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“I remember the first day,” he recalled (in Spanish, translation ours). “That something happened to me again, something that, fortunately, obviously when you are a player … but any player, even if you are 25 or 30 years old, I think that when you change teams you get a little nervous the first time you are going to play, a bit (…).”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 23: Hugo Gonzalez #28 of the Boston Celtics reacts to shooting the game tying 3-point shot during the first overtime period against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 23, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
“That is the normal thing,” he added. “Or for me, for example, when I start a new era, the first time I played with the (Spanish) National Team in the youth categories, I was nervous. The first time I played with the national team in the senior team, I was nervous too. And I was coming off playing half a season in (the Liga) ACB, right?”
“What I’m telling you, in the end, every time you are changing situations, you get a little nervous, right? But fortunately, when you are already in a certain place and especially when you have a certain level of consistency, those nerves dissipate a bit, beyond obviously wanting to do well every time you go out.”
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Hugo Gonzalez has icy veins on-court, but even he had nerves joining NBA