Gone are the days when Spain was one of the most represented countries in the NBA. As we face this new season, only Santi Aldama maintains the national presence in the best league in the world, but there are high expectations around what he can achieve with his Memphis Grizzlies.
Since Pau Gasol was drafted by the Hawks and then traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001, there hasn’t been a single season with only one Spanish player in the NBA. The boom of national basketball and the migration of great historical talents to the league, where many of them managed to establish themselves, led to impressive situations like having 11 Spanish players in a single season, which was the case in 2016-17. Now, eight years later, only Santi Aldama remains.
The Canarian has great potential and has the trust of the coaching staff and the Memphis Grizzlies franchise. He will play a crucial role as a key player coming off the bench in a team with strong competitive aspirations. It is expected that he will provide support to Jarren Jackson Jr and may even share the court with him if the Edey experiment fails to deliver results and they decide to give JJ more minutes as the starting center. The commitment and dedication to the team by Santi Aldama are unquestionable, and further evolution in all aspects of his game is anticipated.
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Santi Aldama, la ilusionante temporada del único vestigio español en la NBA
