Jami Thompson
Luka Garza is an American-Bosnian professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association’s Minnesota Timberwolves. He was the consensus choice for national college player of the year.
Early Life, Family, And Education
Luka Garza was born in the United States capital city of Washington, D.C.to his parents Frank and Sejla Garza
In addition, both of the basketball player’s parents are accomplished athletes. Frank played forward for the Idaho Vandals while Sejla played professional basketball in Europe.
The Hawkeye player was therefore accustomed to the sport from a young age. Additionally, his mother is an executive assistant for the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
His paternal grandfather James Halm played college basketball in Hawaii as well.
In addition, Teoman Alibegovi, the athlete’s uncle, was a standout scorer for the Slovenian national basketball team.
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In light of this, it is safe to say that Luka has a significant basketball influence.
His passion for and opinions about basketball were influenced by the basketball careers of Graza’s family members. Frank coached and trained his son when he was a young child.
Consequently, their father-son relationship only got stronger over time. Luka is consequently very close to his father and has frequently referred to Frank as his best friend.
Not to mention that Frank is consistently his son’s biggest supporter and shows up to all of his games.
Education
The basketball player played his high school ball at Maret School. He played superbly for the Maret Fighting Frogs.
The collegiate basketball player received numerous offers of recruitment from reputable colleges, but he chose to enroll at the University of Iowa. He is one of the best centers for the Hawkeyes and has received numerous honors.
Age, Height, And Weight
On December 27, 2022, the Hawkeye player will have turned 23 years old. Luka takes excellent care of his diet and health as an athlete.
He maintains a healthy diet and regular exercise to weigh about 242 lb or 120 kg.
In addition, the basketball player stands 6 feet 11 inches tall.
Basketball Career
High School Career
The center was a member of the Maret Fighting Frogs in high school. His father was his first coach, and he learned how to play basketball from him.
Furthermore, Luka grew up watching his father’s videotapes of Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s skills and moves. Similarly, he did his best to imitate those moves.
Although the basketballer did not play in his first year, his sophomore year skills astounded everyone. He also helped the Maret School win the DCSAA championship game.
In addition, he was named the D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year. The athlete was a leading scorer for the Fighting Frogs at the time of his graduation.
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College Career
Following his graduation from high school, he received recruitment offers from colleges such as Georgetown University, the University of Georgia, the University of Notre Dame, and others. Graza, on the other hand, chose to play for the University of Iowa.
In his first year as a Hawkeye, he was named Big Ten freshman of the week. He also had his first double-double as a collegiate athlete.
After his rookie season, the basketball player underwent surgery to remove a nine-pound cyst from his spleen. After that, as a sophomore, he sprained his ankle.
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Graza was also named All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media. After defeating the Minnesota Golden Gophers, he was named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week.
The player was a likely candidate for several awards in 2020, including the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, and Oscar Robertson Trophy.
Likewise, Sporting News named him National Player of the Year.
He then declared his intention to enter the 2020 NBA Draft. Nonetheless, he decided to finish college and withdraw his name.
Professional Career
Luka was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 2021 NBA Draft after a successful college career. The team has assigned him to Motor City Cruise, their G League affiliate.
He revealed in an interview that he had signed a two-year contract with the NBA team worth more than $2.48 million.
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Achievements, Honors, And Highlights
- Sporting News 2020 National Player of the Year
- Pete Newell Big Man Award in the year 2020
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award in the year 2020
- Consensus first-team All-American in the year 2020
- 2020 Big Ten Player of the Year
- First-team All-Big Ten in the year 2020
- Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week
- Gatorade Player of the Year honors
Relationship| Girlfriend, Marriage, And Kids
Margaret “Maggie” Mynderse is the basketball player’s girlfriend. Although it is unclear, the two allegedly met at the University of Iowa.
Mynderse is from Minnesota and went to Mayo High School. She was also a standout member of the school’s dance team.
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Margaret attended the same college as Luka after graduating from high school. She recently earned a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
She worked multiple jobs in Iowa, which helped her experience and skills. Maggie was the president of Kappa Kappa Gamma and a Goggle Allo brand ambassador.
Similarly, she worked as the General Manager of Martinis Bar. She also worked as a reporter for the Daily Iowan TV and as a recruiter for Insight Global Business.
Margaret currently works as a Sales Associate for the Milawaukee Bucks Inc. Apart from that, Maggie and Luka are madly in love and can’t keep their hands off each other.
However, both are currently preoccupied with their respective careers. As a result, marriage and children are a little far-sighted.
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Net Worth, Earnings, And Salary
The college did not pay the Hawkeyes’ center because he was a collegiate player. Similarly, according to the NCAA, college athletes are amateur athletes who should not be paid.
However, he became a professional player with the Pistons in 2021 and earned $925,258 in the 2021-22 season. Similarly, the center is expected to earn $1,563,518 in 2022-23.
Aside from that, many sources claim the basketballer’s family has a net worth of more than $1 million. He was also one of the most popular collegiate players.
Social Media Presence
Instagram – 110k Followers
Twitter – 34.4k Followers
Some FAQ’s
What does the father of Luka Garza do for a living?
Conscious Selling, Inc. is the CEO and co-founder of the basketballer’s father. Furthermore, the company is a consulting firm that works with technology companies all over the world.
What ethnicity is Luka Garza?
His mother is Bosnian and Herzegovinian, while his father is American. Luka’s ethnicity is thus Bosnian American.
Who are the agents of Luka Garza’s?
Mike Kneisley and Odell Witherspoon are the NBA players’ agents.
What is Luka Garza’s ESPN ranking?
Luka is ranked 58 on ESPN.
Quick Facts
- Full Name – Luka Garza
- Birth Date – December 27, 1998
- Birth Place – Washington, D.C.
- Nick Name – None
- Religion – Christian
- Nationality – American
- Ethnicity – Bosnian American
- Education – University of Iowa
- Horoscope – Capricorn
- Father’s Name – Frank Garza
- Mother’s Name – Sejla Garza
- Siblings – Tesa Garza
- Age – 23 Years Old
- Height – 6 feet 11 inches
- Weight – 265 lb (120 kgs)
- Hair Color – Black
- Eye Color – Brown
- Build – Athletic
- Profession – Basketball Player
- Current Team – Iowa Hawkeyes
- Position – Centre
- Active Years 2017 – Present
- Marital Status – Unmarried
- Girlfriend – Maggie Mynderse
- Jersey Number – 55
- Net Worth – $1 million
- Social Media – Instagram, Twitter
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