{"id":403799,"date":"2025-11-11T14:40:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T14:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/403799\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T14:40:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T14:40:15","slug":"luka-garza-and-his-father-have-been-working-toward-this-moment-forever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/403799\/","title":{"rendered":"Luka Garza (and his father) have been working toward this moment forever"},"content":{"rendered":"

ORLANDO \u2014 When Luka Garza<\/a> began high school, he was so unathletic that coaches plainly told his father, Frank, that basketball wasn\u2019t going to work out for his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis whole life, coaches were telling me, \u2018Hey, Frank, don\u2019t waste your time \u2013 Luka\u2019s tripping on the foul line as a ninth grader,\u201d Frank told CelticsBlog on Monday morning.<\/p>\n

Luka, after all, was a 6\u20197 freshman who couldn\u2019t dunk. He couldn\u2019t move as well laterally, or jump as high, as other kids with similar aspirations.<\/p>\n

But, he knew from a very young age that a basketball player was what he aspired to be.<\/p>\n

If you know Luka Garza\u2019s story, you already know that he\u2019s achieved basketball success that few will ever sniff. In 2021, the 6\u201910 center was named college basketball\u2019s National Player of the Year. At Iowa, he was a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year, and he ultimately finished his career as the school\u2019s all-time leading scorer.<\/p>\n

Still, few projected that Garza could succeed in the NBA; despite an illustrious college career, he was a late second-round pick, drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the 52nd pick. And, for the past four years, Garza has largely been buried on the bench, first in Detroit, and for the past three years, with the Minnesota Timberwolves.<\/p>\n

Frank jokingly shoulders the blame for his son\u2019s lack of athleticism. His wife, \u0160ejla Mufti\u0107, played professional basketball in Bosnia, and, according to her husband, \u0160ejla is the athlete in the family.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has the athleticism \u2013 I have none,\u201d said Frank, who played college basketball at Idaho, but maintains that his career came in spite of his athleticism. \u201cThe seasons move faster than I did on the basketball court.\u201d<\/p>\n

But is it possible to make it in the NBA as a naturally unathletic center? <\/p>\n

The early years of Garza\u2019s career didn\u2019t immediately answer that question. In his rookie season in Detroit, he appeared in just 32 games. And, in the subsequent three years in Minnesota, he played sparingly, racking up DNPs and typically only appearing in garbage time.<\/p>\n

Then, as free agency neared just a few months ago, the Garzas received a call from Brad Stevens that felt like a breakthrough moment.<\/p>\n

The Boston Celtics were interested in signing Luka. <\/p>\n

Frank could hardly believe it. Months later, sitting in his hotel room in Orlando, he joked that he nearly passed out when he heard the news.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know when you fall down, and you have to kind of come out of being unconscious?\u201d he said, seemingly searching for the appropriate words to describe his awe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Celtics weren\u2019t even on our radar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stevens\u2019 call wasn\u2019t an accident. While Garza hardly played under Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch last season, there were some covert signs he could blossom into an impactful player, if given the opportunity.<\/p>\n

It is well-known around the league that Garza has an indefatigable work ethic \u2013 meticulously working on his body, his shooting, and on becoming the best defender and rebounder he could be. Since college, Garza has reduced his body fat from 15% to 6%, and his body weight from 270 pounds to 245.<\/p>\n

Every offseason, he trains with his father. Frank chuckled at the notion of regular people seeing the wild drills the father-son duo partake in: \u201cThey would think we\u2019re out of our minds.\u201d<\/p>\n

And, according to Noah Basketball<\/a>, a data service NBA teams use that tracks how many shots players take \u2013 and make \u2013 at practices and shootarounds, Garza attempted more practice shots last year than any player in the NBA. (Only two NBA teams \u2013 one of them being the Celtics \u2013 don\u2019t utilize that service).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe person who shot the most shots in practice, and after practice, in all of the NBA was Luka Garza \u2013 a little bit over 42,000 shots,\u201d Frank said, his voice teeming with pride. \u201cAnd the person who was next closest to him was about 12,000 shots away. So here\u2019s a guy in Minneapolis who\u2019s not getting any time, and is practicing three or four times more than any other player.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Frank is correct that Garza hardly played \u2013 he laced up for less than 210 minutes last season \u2013 advanced analytics nonetheless indicated he was a high-impact player when he was on the floor. For example, he drew more charges per possession than any player in the league.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are the things that the most excellent organizations pay attention to,\u201d Frank said. \u201cIt\u2019s the details that make the big thing work \u2013 and that\u2019s what the Celtics are all about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last year, per 36 minutes, Luka averaged 22 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Before training camp, Brad Stevens described him as a \u201cstats darling\u201d that the Celtics felt had untapped potential.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always liked Luka Garza from afar,\u201d said the Celtics general manager.<\/p>\n

Frank didn\u2019t know that Stevens had long been eyeing his son.<\/p>\n

But when he found out that was the case, it all made sense.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just had to believe someone was paying attention,\u201d Frank said. \u201cAnd of course, it was Brad Stevens.\u201d<\/p>\n

The early days with the Celtics have been a dream come true <\/p>\n

Considering the reality that Luka Garza did not establish himself as a proven rotation player in his early years in the NBA, the prospect of any NBA teams reaching out was not something the Garza family took for granted.<\/p>\n

But the fact that it was the Boston Celtics calling made it that much more special.<\/p>\n

Garza, after all, was raised as a fan of the Celtics, having grown up in a household where regular TV consumption was barred. He devoured books about basketball history and watched cassettes of old Celtics games, becoming intimately familiar with Bill Russell\u2019s best moments.<\/p>\n

Frank, who has long doubled as Luka\u2019s father and full-time basketball trainer, ingrained in his son Celtics lore and tradition, as well as more recent concepts, like Ubuntu, a notion of interconnected that the 2008 Celtics championship team embraced (Then-Celtics head coach Doc Rivers preached \u201cI am because we are\u201d en route to the franchise\u2019s 17th championship).<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t talk about basketball and not mention the Celtics,\u201d said Frank, who refered to the Celtics as the \u2018Cathedral of Excellence\u2019 multiple times in our conversation. \u201cHe grew up on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shortly after Luka signed a two-year deal with the Celtics, his father visited the Auerbach Center. Right away, Brad Stevens came downstairs to introduce himself, eager to learn about Frank\u2019s approach and relationship with his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very touching,\u201d Frank said, seemingly still in awe of how intentionally everyone in the organization interacted with him, as well as with one another. \u201cEveryone, from the first minute there, just how they treat each other as well as people just coming in \u2013 it\u2019s just elite.\u201d<\/p>\n

So far, Garza is averaging 5.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and an assist, while shooting 52.5% from the field in 13.4 minutes per night. He\u2019s had two 16-point games, and is playing a larger role than at any point during his NBA career.<\/p>\n

Frank feels his son is a part of something uniquely special <\/p>\n

He followed the Celtics long before his son signed with the organization in July, through years of championship contention and glory. But, there\u2019s something he observes is special about this year\u2019s group \u2013 the roster is inundated with players fighting for their NBA careers.<\/p>\n

Alongside Garza is Josh Minott, his former Timberwolves teammate, who has been thrust into the starting lineup since the fourth game of the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love Josh,\u201d Frank said.<\/p>\n

Jordan Walsh, the 21-year-old Celtic buried on the bench for the past two years, is finally breaking through as a rotation player, sinking the dagger three on Sunday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are high-character athletes, professional athletes, men \u2013 and that\u2019s what Brad and Joe put together,\u201d Frank said. \u201cAnd you see it in the intangibles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what\u2019s magical about the Celtics this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Sunday, Garza tallied what was perhaps the best game of his NBA career \u2013 16 points on 7-8 shooting, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He was on the court for the majority of the Celtics\u2019 fourth quarter, tallying 8 points on 4-4 shooting and 5 rebounds in the final period \u2013 both team-highs.<\/p>\n

His father \u2013 who attends nearly every game in the 82-game season \u2013 was thrilled to be in attendance.<\/p>\n

Afterwards, Luka admitted the game ranked among his best as an NBA player.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me to be out there at the end, closing the game \u2013 I haven\u2019t had too many opportunities to do that in my career,\u201d Luka said. \u201cTo be able to be out there in those moments, and win a game like that, it was definitely a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

The most impressive part of Garza\u2019s performance Sunday was his four offensive rebounds. As it currently stands, he has the best offensive rebounding percentage on the Celtics (12.3%).<\/p>\n

\u201cOffensive rebounds, he can just go crazy,\u201d Frank said. \u201cBecause it\u2019s a different kind of thing, where it\u2019s based on attitude and desire \u2013 just like playing defense \u2013 as opposed to your ability to jump.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frank gushed the job that Joe Mazzulla and the coaching staff have done in prioritizing each and every player\u2019s development behind the scenes. Since the summer, Luka has been enthusiastically relaying to his father just how intense and intentional practice has been. Mazzulla has assigned the team mandatory books to read, and taken the time to get to know every player on the roster on a profound level.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s coaching every man on that team,\u201d Frank said. \u201cEvery man is getting better, every practice. And it\u2019s him and his staff \u2013 it\u2019s the entire staff. It\u2019s a village \u2013 and that is why I call it the Cathedral of Excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n

All of it \u2013 the training rigor, the intentional coaching, the way everyone is treated \u2013 is different than what Luka experienced in previous stops in Detroit and Minnesota, his father said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd those are great organizations, don\u2019t get me wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frank also pointed out how purely joyful Celtics players were for one another in Sunday\u2019s win over the Magic. Neemias Queta and Luka Garza are battling for center minutes, but you\u2019d never know that by watching their body language when the other succeeds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s magical, I think it\u2019s unique, and I think it\u2019s infectious,\u201d Frank said. \u201cIt\u2019s only gonna get stronger. I mean, look at the bench last night. Look at the bench last night \u2013 I don\u2019t care who it is, Queta is the first guy up when Luka scores. And, same thing with Luka.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luka has echoed his father\u2019s sentiments at numerous moments this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese guys are all really welcoming and nice people. Different places in the league, some guys aren\u2019t as welcoming,\u201d Luka said. \u201cBut here, it\u2019s been really awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frank said he\u2019s heard the criticisms of Luka\u2019s play, and he embraces them. Luka has been counted out as long as he\u2019s played basketball, after all.<\/p>\n

The proud father guarantees Luka will always be among the hardest-playing players. He\u2019s just been awaiting his opportunity \u2013 a chance that Brad Stevens granted him just a few months ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have always believed, Noa, that somewhere, someone is paying attention to what my son has been doing his whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, that opportunity awaits him \u2014 and for the franchise he grew up cherishing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ORLANDO \u2014 When Luka Garza began high school, he was so unathletic that coaches plainly told his father,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":401114,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3766],"tags":[7,45,75,37650,3798,46,37728,21388,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-403799","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-boston-celtics","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-boston","10":"tag-boston-celtics","11":"tag-boston-celtics-articles","12":"tag-bostonceltics","13":"tag-celtics","14":"tag-celtics-features","15":"tag-celtics-news","16":"tag-nba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/115531587640855360","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=403799"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403799\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/401114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=403799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=403799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=403799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}