Luka Garza

Last updated

Luka Garza
Luka Garza 2020.jpg
Garza with the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2020
No. 55Minnesota Timberwolves
Position Center
League NBA
Personal information
Born (1998-12-27) December 27, 1998 (age 25)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
NationalityAmerican / Bosnian
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight243 lb (110 kg)
Career information
High school Maret School (Washington, D.C.)
College Iowa (2017–2021)
NBA draft 2021: 2nd round, 52nd overall pick
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2022 Detroit Pistons
2021–2022 Motor City Cruise
2022–present Minnesota Timberwolves
20222024 Iowa Wolves
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Stats at Basketball Reference   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Luka H. Garza (born December 27, 1998) is a Bosnian-American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Bosnian and Herzegovinian national team.

Contents

Garza played college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he was the consensus pick for national college player of the year for the 2020–21 season. As a junior, he was named a consensus first-team All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year. Garza played for Maret School in his hometown of Washington, D.C.

Early life

Garza grew up in Reston, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. He learned to play basketball from his father, Frank, who played for Idaho. Garza watched video tapes that his father collected of former National Basketball Association (NBA) post players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and attempted to recreate their moves. [1] His mother, Šejla, who is from Bosnia and Herzegovina, played professional basketball in Europe. [2]

He stood 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) as a freshman attending Maret School in Washington, D.C., but was not able to dunk a basketball until he was a sophomore. [1] In high school, Garza was coached by Chuck Driesell, son of Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lefty Driesell. [3] In his senior season, he averaged 24.6 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Garza led Maret to the District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA) title game and earned D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year honors. [4] He left as his school's all-time leading scorer, with 1,993 points. [5]

He was a four-star recruit and chose to play college basketball for Iowa over offers from Georgetown, Georgia and Notre Dame, among others. [6]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
NameHometownHigh school / collegeHeightWeightCommit date
Luka Garza
C
Washington, D.C. Maret School (DC)6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)265 lb (120 kg)Sep 10, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 4 stars.svg     247Sports: 4 stars.svg     ESPN: 4 stars.svg    ESPN grade: 83
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 111   247Sports: 105   ESPN: 100
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Iowa 2017 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  • "2017 Iowa Hawkeyes Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  • "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 28, 2020.

College career

Garza (right) in December 2019 Luka Garza.jpg
Garza (right) in December 2019

Freshman season (2017–2018)

In his college debut versus Chicago State, Garza had 16 points. He had his first double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds the following game in a win over Alabama State and was named Big Ten freshman of the week. [7] As a freshman, Garza averaged 12.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. [8]

Sophomore season (2018–2019)

Shortly before his sophomore season, Garza underwent surgery to remove a nine-pound (4.1 kg) cyst attached to his spleen. [9] [10] He also dealt with a sprained ankle in January 2019. [8] In the NCAA Tournament, Garza had 20 points and seven rebounds to help Iowa upset Cincinnati. [3] He averaged 13.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore. [11] Garza was named All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media. [12]

Junior season (2019–2020)

Garza scored 44 points, third-most in Iowa history, in a 103–91 loss to Michigan on December 6. [13] He followed this up with 21 points and 10 rebounds in a 72–52 win over Minnesota and was named Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week. [14] In an 84–68 win against Iowa State on December 12, Garza had a tooth jarred loose after taking an elbow from teammate Joe Wieskamp. Garza returned to the game and finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds. [15] Garza had 34 points and 12 rebounds in a 89–86 loss to Penn State on January 4, 2020. [16] He was named to the midseason watch lists for the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and Oscar Robertson Trophy. [17] [18] On February 13, Garza tallied 38 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in an 89–77 loss to Indiana. [19] At the close of the regular season, he was named the Big Ten Player of the Year. [20] He was then named National Player of the Year by the Sporting News. [21] Garza averaged 23.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game as a junior, earning consensus first-team All-American honors. [22] [23] Following the season, Garza declared for the 2020 NBA draft. [24] On August 2, he announced he was withdrawing from the draft and returning to Iowa. [25]

Senior season (2020–2021)

On November 27, Garza scored a Carver–Hawkeye Arena-record 41 points, including 36 in the first half, on 14-of-15 shooting while posting nine rebounds and three blocks in a 103–76 win over Southern. He joined John Johnson as the only players in program history to record two 40-point games. [26] In his next game, on December 3, Garza scored 30 first-half points as part of a 35-point, 10-rebound performance in a 99–58 victory over Western Illinois. [27] On December 11, he posted 34 points and six three-pointers in a 105–77 win over Iowa State. [28] Garza scored his 2,000th point in a February 2, 2021, win over Michigan State. [29] On February 21, he recorded 23 points and 11 rebounds in a 74–68 victory over Penn State, surpassing Roy Marble to become Iowa's all-time leading scorer. [30] After a win over the #25 Wisconsin Badgers, athletic director Gary Barta announced that they would be retiring #55 for Garza. [31]

At the close of the season, Garza was again named Sporting News Player of the Year, becoming the first repeat winner since Michael Jordan in 1983 and 1984. [32] He averaged 24.1 points and 8.7 rebounds as a senior, [33] and became the first player in Iowa men's basketball history to twice be named Big Ten Player of the Year [34] [35] and consensus first-team All-American. [36]

Professional career

Detroit Pistons (2021–2022)

Garza was selected with the 52nd overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 2021 NBA draft. [37] After a standout Summer League performance, Garza was signed to a two-way contract by the Pistons and their NBA G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. [38] On September 24, the team announced they had converted his contract from a two-way to a standard deal. [39]

On October 23, Garza made his NBA debut, posting three points, two rebounds, two steals and one assist across six minutes of play in a 97–82 loss to the Chicago Bulls. [40] [41] On November 23, Garza made his first career start, scoring seven points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field and 1-of-1 from three, in addition to three rebounds and two assists in a 100–92 loss to the Miami Heat. [42] [43] On December 26, Garza scored a career-high 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from three, to go along with six rebounds and two assists, before fouling out in a 144–109 blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs. [44] [45] On January 1, 2022, Garza logged his first career double-double with a career-high tying 20 points and a career-high 14 rebounds across a career-high 40 minutes of action in a 117–116 win over the Spurs. [46] [47] Together with teammates Hamidou Diallo and Saddiq Bey, they became the first trio in league history to register 20 points and 14 rebounds in the same game in over 40 years. [48] [49] On June 29, the Pistons declined their team option on Garza, making him a free agent. [50]

In July 2022, Garza joined the Portland Trail Blazers for the 2022 NBA Summer League. [51]

Minnesota Timberwolves (2022–present)

On August 23, 2022, Garza signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves. [52] On October 15, 2022, the Timberwolves converted his deal to a two-way contract. [53] Garza was named captain of Team Luka for the G League's inaugural Next Up Game for the 2022–23 season. [54] He was named the MVP of the game after leading his team to a 178–162 win over Team Scoot, logging 23 points and eight rebounds. [55]

On July 3, 2023, he signed another two-way contract with the Timberwolves. [56]

On April 4, 2024, Garza's contract was converted to a standard NBA contract, dropping his two-way status and allowing him to play for the Timberwolves during the 2024 NBA playoffs. [57] This came the day after a game against the Toronto Raptors in which Garza scored 16 points in 9 minutes, his then-season high.

On July 6, 2024, Garza re-signed with the Timberwolves. [58]

National team career

In September 2020, Garza expressed his interest to represent the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team internationally. [59] In December 2021, he told a reporter that he finished the process of obtaining dual citizenship. [60] He made his debut in August 2023 in an Olympic qualifiers game against Portugal, finishing the match with 15 points and 12 rebounds. [61]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

NBA

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2021–22 Detroit 32512.2.449.327.6233.1.6.3.25.8
2022–23 Minnesota 2808.7.543.359.7882.3.6.1.16.5
2023–24 Minnesota 2504.9.480.281.7201.2.2.2.04.0
Career8558.9.488.325.7032.3.5.2.15.5

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2024 Minnesota 703.7.833.667.875.9.1.0.04.1
Career703.7.833.667.875.9.1.0.04.1

College

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2017–18 Iowa 332621.7.557.348.6816.41.1.31.012.1
2018–19 Iowa 323023.7.531.292.8044.5.9.3.513.1
2019–20 Iowa 313132.0.542.358.6519.81.2.81.823.9
2020–21 Iowa 313131.5.553.440.7098.71.7.71.624.1
Career12711827.1.546.367.7017.31.2.51.218.2

Personal life

Garza's father is of Spanish American origin, and his mother is from Bosnia and Herzegovina, of Bosniak origin. Both of Garza's parents have basketball experience: his father, Frank, played collegiately at Idaho, and his mother, Šejla (née Muftić), played professionally in Europe. His paternal grandfather, James Halm, played college basketball for Hawaii. His maternal uncle, Bosnian born Teo Alibegović, husband of his mother's sister Lejla Muftić, was the all-time leading scorer for the Slovenia national basketball team. [62] His cousins Amar Alibegović, Mirza Alibegović and Denis Alibegović are all professional basketball players in Europe. His maternal grandfather, Refik Muftić, was an accomplished association football goalkeeper, spending his entire career with FK Sarajevo. [63]

Since 2022, Garza has been in a relationship with Victoria Vidi. [64]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Tolliver</span> American basketball player (born 1985)

Anthony Lamar Tolliver is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays. Tolliver spent 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers. He also played in the NBA Development League and overseas in Germany and Turkey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wesley Johnson (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1987)

Wesley JaMarr Johnson is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is a player development assistant for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Syracuse University and Iowa State University. He was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Monroe</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

Gregory Keith Monroe Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who is a player development coach for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 2010 NBA draft with the seventh overall pick and became the last Pistons player to wear the number 10 jersey, as the Pistons retired the number for Dennis Rodman in 2011. In his freshman season at Georgetown University, Monroe was named Big East Rookie of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andre Drummond</span> American basketball player (born 1993)

Andre Jamal Drummond is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers the National Basketball Association (NBA). A center, he was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft with the ninth overall pick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudy Gobert</span> French basketball player (born 1992)

Rudy Gobert-Bourgarel is a French professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for the Utah Jazz who acquired him during the 2013 NBA draft. Gobert also represents the French national team in its international competitions. Standing at 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall with a wingspan of 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) long, he plays the center position. He is regarded as one of the best defensive players of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorenzo Brown</span> Spanish basketball player (born 1990)

Lorenzo Dontez Brown is an American-Spanish professional basketball player for Panathinaikos of the Greek Basketball League (GBL) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the NC State Wolfpack and spent several seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in the United States, he helped lead the Spanish national team to a EuroBasket title in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Covington</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

Robert Covington is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Tennessee State Tigers and in 2018, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amile Jefferson</span> American basketball player

Amile O. Jefferson is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He is an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics team of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, where he served as a captain for three seasons, including for the 2014–15 NCAA championship team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monté Morris</span> American basketball player (born 1995)

Monté Robert Morris is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Iowa State Cyclones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarrod Uthoff</span> American basketball player

Jarrod Reed Uthoff is an American professional basketball player for Pallacanestro Trieste of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played three seasons of college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Justin Nicholas Patton is an American professional basketball player for Peristeri of the Greek Basketball League (GBL) and the Basketball Champions League (BCL). He played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays. Patton was selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls, but was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has also played for the Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder. In 2021–22, he led the Israeli Basketball Premier League in blocks per game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Cook</span> American basketball player (born 1997)

Tyler Cook is an American professional basketball player for Merkezefendi Belediyesi Denizli of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). He played college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaylen Nowell</span> American basketball player (born 1999)

Jaylen Clinton Andrew Nowell is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Washington Huskies of the Pac-12 Conference, and was named the conference's player of the year in 2019. He was selected by the Timberwolves in the second round of the 2019 NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franz Wagner (basketball)</span> German basketball player (born 2001)

Franz Jacob Wagner is a German professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desmond Bane</span> American basketball player (born 1998)

Desmond Michael Bane is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the TCU Horned Frogs. Bane was selected in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft with the 30th overall pick, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in his first year with Memphis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Wieskamp</span> American basketball player (born 1999)

Joseph Hinman Wieskamp is an American professional basketball player for the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes before being drafted 41st overall in the 2021 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs.

Kevon Lavelle Harris is an American professional basketball player for the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League. He played college basketball at Stephen F. Austin.

The 2020–21 Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team represented the University of Iowa during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by 11th-year head coach Fran McCaffery and played their home games at Carver–Hawkeye Arena as members of the Big Ten Conference. The Hawkeyes finished the season 22–9, 14–6 in Big Ten play to finish in third place. They defeated Wisconsin in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten tournament before losing to Illinois in the semifinals. The Hawkeyes received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 2 seed in the West region. They defeated Grand Canyon in the First Round before losing to Oregon in the Second Round, ending their chances at their first Sweet Sixteen since 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eugene Omoruyi</span> Canadian basketball player

Eugene Omoruyi is a Nigerian-Canadian professional basketball player who last played for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Oregon Ducks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keegan Murray</span> American basketball player (born 2000)

Keegan Murray is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes before he was selected fourth overall pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2022 NBA draft. He is the twin brother of Kris Murray.

References

  1. 1 2 Emmert, Mark (February 6, 2019). "Iowa's Luka Garza studies the masters in attempt to become elite scorer". HawkCentral.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  2. "Luka Garza explains why he turned down Team USA, leaves Europe's door open". basketnews.com. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Feinstein, John (March 22, 2019). "Iowa's Luka Garza is a rising star, and Lefty Driesell has been saying it for years". The Gazette . Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  4. Whooley, Connor (March 20, 2017). "Iowa hoops commit Luke Garza wins Washington, D.C., Gatorade Player of the Year". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  5. Mullan, Dillon (March 21, 2017). "Maret big man Luka Garza wins D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year". The Washington Post . Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  6. Goodwin, Cody (September 10, 2016). "Four-star big man Luka Garza commits to Iowa hoops". The Des Moines Register . Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  7. "Iowa and Minnesota Earn First Weekly Men's Basketball Honors: Minnesota's Jordan Murphy earns Player of the Week honors; Hawkeyes' Luka Garza named Freshmen of the Week". BigTen.org. CBS Interactive. November 13, 2017. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  8. 1 2 "Sophomore Luka Garza on a tear for surging Hawkeyes". USA Today . Associated Press. February 5, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  9. "Iowa C Luka Garza shooting for opener after cyst removed". USA Today . Associated Press. October 8, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  10. Eickholt, David (December 14, 2019). "Luka Garza is "as tough of a player as you're going to find"". 247 Sports. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  11. Meredith, Luke (December 5, 2019). "Luka Garza's Monster Start Propels Surging Hawkeyes". CollegeBasketball.ap.org. Associated Press . Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  12. "Big Ten Unveils Men's Basketball Postseason Honors on BTN". BigTen.org. March 11, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.[ dead link ]
  13. Kahn, Andrew (December 7, 2019). "Luka Garza dropped 44 points on Michigan but it didn't matter". MLive.com. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  14. Eickholt, David (December 10, 2019). "Luka Garza named Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week". 247 Sports. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  15. Creglow, Zach; Emmert, Mark (December 12, 2019). "Iowa star Luka Garza has tooth jarred loose, returns to game: 'I'll do anything for this team'". Hawk Central. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  16. Emmert, Mark (January 4, 2020). "No. 25 Iowa falls 89–86 to No. 21 Penn State at historic Palestra". Hawk Central. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  17. "Gonzaga's Filip Petrusev among new faces on Wooden Award midseason list". ESPN . January 8, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  18. Bohnenkamp, John (February 13, 2020). "Garza Named To Robertson, Naismith Lists". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  19. Leistikow, Chad (February 13, 2020). "Iowa wastes another huge night from Luka Garza in loss at Indiana". Iowa City Press-Citizen . Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  20. "Big Ten Unveils Men's Basketball Postseason Honors on BTN". BigTen.com (Press release). Big Ten Conference. March 9, 2020. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  21. DeCourcy, Mike (March 10, 2020). "Iowa's Luka Garza is Sporting News' 2019-20 Player of the Year". Sporting News . Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  22. Dauster, Rob (March 10, 2020). "NBC Sports College Basketball All-American Teams". NBC Sports . Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  23. "Luka Garza: Consensus First-Team All-American". University of Iowa Athletics. March 24, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  24. "Iowa's Luka Garza declares for NBA draft, keeps eligibility". ESPN . April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  25. Dauster, Rob (August 2, 2020). "Luka Garza returns to Iowa to make a run at Player of the Year, Final Four". NBC Sports . Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  26. Bohnenkamp, John (November 27, 2020). "Nearly perfect Garza scores 41, No. 5 Iowa routs Southern". The Washington Post . The Associated Press . Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  27. Doxsie, Don (December 4, 2020). "Luka Garza scores 30-plus again as Iowa beats Western Illinois". Sioux City Journal . Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  28. Hlas, Mike (December 11, 2020). "Luka Garza torches Iowa State in second half, Iowa wins 105-77". The Gazette . Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  29. "Garza reaches 2,000 points as Iowa tops Michigan State 84-78". USA Today . February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  30. "Luka Garza becomes Iowa's all-time scoring leader". KCCI . February 21, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  31. "Iowa to retire Luka Garza's number at end of season". The Athletic . March 7, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  32. DeCourcy, Mike (March 9, 2021). "Iowa's Luka Garza is Sporting News' first repeat winner as Player of the Year since Michael Jordan". Sporting News . Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  33. Kasabian, Paul (April 1, 2021). "Luka Garza Wins 2021 AP Player of Year Award over Ayo Dosunmu, Cade Cunningham". BleacherReport.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  34. "Luka Garza Voted Big Ten Player of the Year". University of Iowa Athletics. March 9, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  35. "Garza repeats as Big Ten player of year; Howard top coach". APNews.com. March 9, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  36. Howe, Rob (March 18, 2021). "Luka Garza Unanimous Consensus All-American". HawkeyeNation.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021. Garza has earned unanimous consensus first-team All-America status for a second straight year as a result of being voted to All-America first teams by the NBAC, Sporting News, Associated Press, and United States Basketball Writers Association. Garza becomes the program's only repeat consensus All-America honoree.
  37. "2021 NBA Draft results: Picks 1-60". NBA.com. July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  38. "Detroit Pistons Sign Luka Garza and Chris Smith to Two-Way Contracts". NBA.com. August 17, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  39. Pistons PR [@Pistons_PR] (September 24, 2021). "The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has converted center Luka Garza's two-way contract to a standard NBA contract. Terms of the contract were not disclosed" (Tweet). Retrieved September 24, 2021 via Twitter.
  40. "Pistons' Luka Garza reacts to scoring first points in the NBA". The Rookie Wire. October 24, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  41. "Former Iowa star Luka Garza scores first points of NBA career with Detroit Pistons". SaturdayTradition.com. October 24, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  42. "Pistons' Luka Garza: Struggles in first career start". CBSSports.com. November 24, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  43. "'It was a dream come true': Luka Garza thankful for first NBA start". The Rookie Wire. November 24, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  44. "Pistons' Luka Garza: Goes for 20 points in 20 minutes". CBSSports.com. December 27, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  45. Eickholt, David (December 27, 2021). "Former Hawkeye Luka Garza drops career-high against San Antonio Spurs". 247sports.com. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  46. "Pistons' Luka Garza: Pops for 20 points, 14 boards". CBSSports.com. January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  47. "Luka Garza's first double-double helps Pistons players make history". The Rookie Wire. January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  48. NBA [@NBA] (January 1, 2022). ".Career-highs in rebounds for these three @DetroitPistons as they become the first trio with 20 PTS and 14 REB in over 40 years!" (Tweet). Retrieved January 4, 2022 via Twitter.
  49. Kellerstrass, Aaron (January 2, 2022). "Unlikely trio makes history for the Detroit Pistons in win over Spurs". PistonPowered.com. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  50. Pistons PR [@Pistons_PR] (June 29, 2022). "The Detroit Pistons have exercised the team option for the contract of Hamidou Diallo while Cory Joseph has opted in to return for the 2022-23 NBA season. The Pistons have declined the options for the contracts of Luka Garza and Frank Jackson for the upcoming season. #Pistons" (Tweet). Retrieved June 29, 2022 via Twitter.
  51. "Portland Trail Blazers 2022 NBA2K23 Summer League Roster". NBA.com. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  52. Nardinger, Taylor (August 23, 2022). "Timberwolves Sign CJ Elleby and Luka Garza". NBA.com. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  53. "Report: Timberwolves sign Luka Garza to 2-way deal | Sports Illustrated Minnesota Sports, News, Analysis, and More". SI.com. October 15, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  54. "Wolves' Garza And Ignite's Henderson Named Captains For NBA G League Next Up Game". NBA.com. February 7, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  55. Schad, Chris (February 23, 2023). "Timberwolves' Luka Garza wins MVP in NBA G-League's 'Next Up' Game". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  56. Nardinger, Taylor (July 3, 2023). "Timberwolves Re-Sign Luka Garza". NBA.com. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  57. "Timberwolves Convert Luka Garza to Standard NBA Contract". NBA.com. April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  58. "Timberwolves Re-Sign Luka Garza". NBA.com. July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  59. Eickholt, David (September 4, 2020). "Luka Garza aiming to play on Bosnia's national team". 247sports.com. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  60. "Luka Garza dobio državljanstvo BiH, može igrati za reprezentaciju". SportSport.ba (in Croatian). Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  61. Mrkonja, Haris (August 13, 2023). "Zmajevi savladali Portugal teže od očekivanog, sljedeća Poljska". N1Info.ba. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  62. Goldwein, Eric (February 25, 2016). "Maret's Luka Garza keeps family basketball tradition going". The Washington Post . Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  63. "Košarkaš Luka Garza: Želim predstavljati BiH". Glas Amerike (in Bosnian). October 9, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  64. https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/luka-garza-girlfriend