\u201cHugo always stood out in the youth ranks of Real Madrid and the national team because of his physical tools and his scoring ability,\u201d Fernandez, who was drafted 24th overall in 2007, told the Herald via email. \u201cWhen he started joining us with the senior team, what stood out was that he wasn\u2019t afraid of contact, and above all, he was always asking questions \u2014 he wanted to understand everything happening in the game. \u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was always asking questions and paying close attention to everything around him to fit in and keep learning. For me, young players often only worry about scoring points, but he was different. He wanted to develop every area of his game to become a complete player, not just focus on one thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gonzalez was just 16 when he made his debut for Real Madrid\u2019s top side. Then, after excelling for its de facto JV team and starring in consecutive Next Generation Tournaments (annual showcases for the top under-18 players from elite European clubs), he became a full-time full-team player at age 18, seeing action in 36 of Real Madrid\u2019s 43 Liga ACB games and 30 of its 40 EuroLeague matchups this past season.<\/p>\n
As by far the youngest player on a veteran-laden squad (which by that point had added ex-NBAers Serge Ibaka and Bruno Fernando), Gonzalez\u2019s commitment to versatility, unselfishness and dirty-work competitiveness served him well. He established himself as a legitimate NBA prospect despite averaging 4.5 points and less than 15 minutes per game in the Spanish league and 1.9 points and less than eight minutes in EuroLeague play.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt first, he didn\u2019t get many minutes with Real Madrid\u2019s first team,\u201d said Fernandez, who retired last offseason, \u201cbut later on, he earned a regular rotation role because he could do so many things \u2014 not just be an explosive player, but also defend, rebound, space the floor with his shooting and pass really well with a great feel for the extra pass.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Hugo](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AP25164797630795.jpg\")
Hugo Gonz\u00e1lez of Real Madrid in action during a semifinal game between Real Madrid and Unicaja at Movistar Arena pavilion on June 13, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Oscar Gonzalez\/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)<\/p>\n
Gonzalez\u2019s international resume also helped put him on the radars of NBA teams. Fernandez said he \u201creally noticed (his NBA potential) when he played with the national team against players his age.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2022, Gonzalez was part of a team that reached the finals of the U17 FIBA World Cup, defeating a French squad that featured five future NBA draft picks (including last year\u2019s top two selections, Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr) in the semis before losing to Cooper Flagg, Ron Holland and Team USA. A year later, he led Spain in scoring in the U18 EuroBasket tournament, with his team again losing in the final to a Serbian outfit headlined by Nikola Topic, who went on to be picked 12th overall by Oklahoma City last summer.<\/p>\n
Spain\u2019s U18s finished 13th at the European championships in 2024, but Gonzalez dominated, averaging 20.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.0 blocks per game.<\/p>\n
Though Gonzalez has posted strong scoring numbers in age-grade competitions, he likely won\u2019t be asked to do much of that for Boston, at least early in his career. In Brad Stevens\u2019 draft-night news conference, the Celtics\u2019 president of basketball operations lauded his \u201ctough,\u201d \u201chard-playing\u201d attitude and \u201cwillingness to do sacrificial things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe cuts, he goes after the ball, he competes,\u201d Stevens said. \u201cHe\u2019s got all the intangibles of a winning basketball player. There\u2019s things he can get better at, just like everybody else at that age, but competitiveness is at a high level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stevens\u2019 only mention of Gonzalez\u2019s scoring was that the team believes he\u2019ll improve as an outside shooter. That was one of the biggest knocks on Gonzalez as a prospect after he shot 27.7% from 3-point range (23-for-83) across all competitions in his final season with Real Madrid.<\/p>\n
Fernandez said he \u201ccompletely agree(s)\u201d with the Celtics\u2019 assessment of his former teammate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always tried to instill in him the idea of committing to improving the team whenever he\u2019s on the floor, and he\u2019s done that perfectly,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cHe\u2019s got the physical tools, good hands, a strong understanding of the game on both ends, and he\u2019s a solid standstill shooter. Maybe he could improve his movement shooting, especially coming off screens, but he\u2019s the type of player who gets better every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Hugo](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1753143680_457_lticsnl15.jpg\")
Hugo Gonzalez, left, and Baylor Scheierman slap hands during Celtics’ summer league practice at the Auerbach Center. (Nancy Lane\/Boston Herald)<\/p>\n
Gonzalez didn\u2019t have to wait long to experience NBA basketball for the first time. Real Madrid\u2019s domestic season ended (with a championship win over Valencia Basket) mere hours before the Celtics draft him. Days later, he was on the court at the Auerbach Center, running through practice drills with Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman.<\/p>\n