Luka Garza Bio
Luka Hudson Garza (born December 27, 1998) is a Bosnian-American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. Standing 6 feet 8 inches tall and competing at the center position, Garza became one of the most decorated players in Iowa Hawkeyes history before turning pro.
A consensus national college player of the year in 2020–21, Garza was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 2021 NBA Draft and has since built a steady role across multiple organizations. His combination of low-post craft, perimeter shooting touch, and rebounding has allowed him to contribute at both the NBA and G League levels.
Early Life and Background
Luka Hudson Garza was born on December 27, 1998, in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Reston, Virginia. His father, Frank Garza, is Mexican-American and played college basketball at Idaho. His mother, Šejla Muftić, is from Bosnia and Herzegovina and played professional basketball in Europe. Garza learned the game from his father, studying videotapes of Hall of Fame post players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and trying to recreate their moves in the driveway.
Garza attended Maret School in Washington, D.C., where he was coached by Chuck Driesell, son of Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lefty Driesell. Listed at 6 feet 7 inches as a freshman, Garza could not dunk a basketball until his sophomore year, a reminder of how much his frame and athleticism developed during high school. As a senior, he averaged 24.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game, leading Maret to the District of Columbia State Athletic Association title game and earning D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year honors. He left Maret as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,993 points.
A four-star recruit, Garza chose Iowa over offers from Georgetown, Georgia, and Notre Dame, among others. The decision launched one of the most decorated college careers of his generation.
Path to Basketball
Garza’s path to high-level basketball began in a basketball family. Both parents had played competitively, and his maternal uncle by marriage, Teoman Alibegović, once held the record as the all-time leading scorer for the Slovenia national basketball team. His cousins Amar, Mirza, and Denis Alibegović have all played professionally in Europe, deepening Garza’s connection to the international game.
After a strong high school career at Maret, Garza enrolled at Iowa, where he was asked to contribute immediately. In his college debut against Chicago State, he scored 16 points, and he earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors soon after. As a freshman, he averaged 12.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, giving Hawkeyes coaches a clear sign of his long-term potential.
Heading into his sophomore year, Garza underwent surgery to remove a nine-pound cyst attached to his spleen, a setback he navigated while also dealing with a January ankle sprain. He still averaged 13.1 points and 4.5 rebounds as a sophomore, helping Iowa upset Cincinnati in the NCAA Tournament and earning All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition from the media.
Luka Garza Career
Iowa Hawkeyes (2017–2021)
Garza’s first three seasons at Iowa established him as one of the Big Ten’s most productive interior players. As a junior in 2019–20, he scored 44 points in a 103–91 loss to Michigan on December 6, the third-highest single-game total in program history. He added a 38-point, eight-rebound, four-block performance in a loss to Indiana and closed the year as the Sporting News National Player of the Year, the Big Ten Player of the Year, and a consensus first-team All-American, averaging 23.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
Following that junior season, Garza declared for the 2020 NBA Draft before withdrawing on August 2 to return to Iowa for his senior year. The move paid off. On November 27, 2020, he erupted for a Carver–Hawkeye Arena-record 41 points, including 36 in the first half, in a 103–76 victory over Southern, joining John Johnson as the only Iowa players with two 40-point games. He later surpassed Roy Marble to become Iowa’s all-time leading scorer and recorded his 2,000th career point in a win over Michigan State. Iowa announced it would retire his No. 55 jersey.
Detroit Pistons (2021–2022)
Garza was selected with the 52nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. After an impressive Summer League showing, he signed a two-way contract that the team converted to a standard NBA deal on September 24, 2021. He made his NBA debut on October 23 against the Chicago Bulls, logging six minutes with three points, two rebounds, two steals, and an assist.
His first career start came on November 23, 2021, against the Miami Heat, and he later set a then-career high of 20 points on December 26 against the San Antonio Spurs. He tied that mark with 20 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in a 117–116 win over the Spurs on New Year’s Day, part of a historic performance in which he, Hamidou Diallo, and Saddiq Bey became the first NBA trio in more than 40 years to each record at least 20 points and 14 rebounds in the same game. On June 29, 2022, Detroit declined its team option, making Garza a free agent, and he briefly joined the Portland Trail Blazers for Summer League play.
Minnesota Timberwolves (2022–2025)
On August 23, 2022, Garza signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who converted his deal to a two-way contract that October. He was named captain of Team Luka for the G League’s inaugural Next Up Game in 2022–23 and earned MVP honors after posting 23 points and eight rebounds in a 178–162 victory over Team Scoot. He signed another two-way contract on July 3, 2023, and on April 4, 2024, Minnesota converted his deal to a standard NBA contract, clearing the way for him to appear in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Garza re-signed with Minnesota on July 6, 2024, continuing to bounce between the parent club and the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s G League affiliate. Across his Timberwolves tenure, he provided frontcourt depth, three-point shooting, and a reliable post presence.
Boston Celtics (2025–Present)
On July 7, 2025, Garza signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract with the Boston Celtics, beginning a new chapter with one of the NBA’s most storied franchises. The deal runs through the 2026–27 season and reflects Boston’s belief in his skill set as a stretch big.
Notable Events and Milestones
Garza’s signature milestones include becoming Iowa’s all-time leading scorer, having his No. 55 retired by the program, and earning back-to-back Sporting News College Player of the Year awards, joining Michael Jordan as the only repeat winner since 1983–84. He also debuted internationally for Bosnia and Herzegovina in August 2023, recording 15 points and 12 rebounds in an Olympic qualifier against Portugal.
Luka Garza Career Wins
Garza’s competitive résumé is anchored by individual awards rather than team championships, with two Big Ten Player of the Year honors, two consensus first-team All-American selections, and two Sporting News College Player of the Year awards highlighting his decorated college run.
College Highlights
Garza earned consensus first-team All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year honors in both 2019–20 and 2020–21. He was the consensus national college player of the year in 2020–21, and he set an Iowa career scoring record while averaging 24.1 points and 8.7 rebounds as a senior.
Other Wins and Performances
At the NBA level, Garza has contributed through steadier supporting roles, highlighted by his historic 20-point, 14-rebound game with Detroit, his Next Up Game MVP with the Timberwolves’ G League affiliate, and his first career start with the Pistons.
Luka Garza Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Basketball runs deep in Garza’s family. His father, Frank Garza, played at Idaho; his mother, Šejla Muftić, played professionally in Europe; and his paternal grandfather, James Halm, played college basketball at Hawaii. His maternal uncle by marriage, Teoman Alibegović, was once the all-time leading scorer for the Slovenia national basketball team, and his cousins Amar, Mirza, and Denis Alibegović are all professional players in Europe. His maternal grandfather, Refik Muftić, was an accomplished association football goalkeeper who spent most of his career with FK Sarajevo.
Personal Life
Since 2022, Garza has been in a relationship with Victoria Vidi. The couple has been a steady presence in his life as he has moved between NBA cities and the G League circuit.
2025 Season Performance
Garza’s 2025 storyline is defined by his move to the Boston Celtics on a two-year, $5.5 million deal announced July 7, 2025. Joining a contender shifts his role toward frontcourt depth and floor-spacing, with his career 41.5 percent three-point accuracy at Iowa offering a clear fit alongside the Celtics’ modern offensive system.
His tenure in Minnesota offered a springboard: a converted standard contract in April 2024, an appearance in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, and a re-signed deal the following summer demonstrated the trust the Timberwolves had built. Now in Boston, Garza will be expected to bring that same veteran reliability to a team with championship aspirations.
Looking ahead, Garza remains a candidate to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina in international competition, complementing his NBA responsibilities. With a contract that runs through 2026–27, his 2025–26 campaign is poised to be the most stable stretch of his professional career to date.