There might not be a harder worker on the basketball court than former Hawkeye Luka Garza.
Garza wasn't a full-time starter for the Hawkeyes until his third season, and his hard work paid off. He was a consistent double-digit scorer, but increased his scoring and rebounding averages from 12.1 points and 6.4 rebounds to 24.1 points and 8.7 rebounds in his final season with the Hawkeyes. He earned the Naismith Player of the Year after his senior year, but went undrafted in 2021.
Garza made stops in Detroit and Minnesota before a career resurgence in Boston last season. After a solid season, he received the call to play for his mother's home country.
Garza will represent Bosnia and Herzegovina during 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers
Garza was born in Washington, D.C., but his dad, Frank Garza, is a Spanish-American, and his mother, Selja Muftic, is from Bosnia and Herzegovina and played professionally in Europe. Garza expressed interest in playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2020 and obtained dual citizenship in 2021. He has played for their national team sporadically since 2023, but is back on the squad.
Luka Garza is set to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers! 🇧🇦@LukaG_55 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/fkC8SuF6b3
— Iowa Men's Basketball (@IowaHoops) July 2, 2026
After bouncing back in a big way with the Celtics, Garza should have been guaranteed a spot on the team. Garza averaged a career-high 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 57.7 percent from the field and 43.3 percent from beyond the arc as a reserve for the Celtics. Garza signed a two-year, $5.5 million deal with the Celtics last offseason, and it paid off in a big way.
Rejoining the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team is a smart move for Garza, who is entering a contract year, and could be playing for his job with Mitchell Robinson now in Boston. With Mitchell now projected to be the starting center, Garza's role could be diminished, and he has a chance to prove why the Celtics originally signed him.
Garza must prove to Boston why he deserves a spot in the rotation
Robinson presents a unique problem for Garza, who could be on the outside looking in. He became extremely valuable down the stretch for the Celtics last season, but fell out of the rotation in the playoffs. If he wants to stick around in Boston, he must show out in the qualifiers. While playing well for Bosnia and Herzegovina doesn't necessarily guarantee him playing time with Boston, it can help his cause.
It also gives him valuable experience competing on the national stage, which he can use as fuel and preparation for next season. One solid season alone won't be enough to guarantee him a spot in Boston, but he is an extremely hard worker, and there is no doubt that signing Robinson will light a fire under him.
He'll get in the lab with his dad, Frank, and do everything in his power to be ready to compete whenever he is called upon. If his time ultimately ends in Boston, he will have suitors next offseason as he enters free agency. Garza's next game with Bosnia and Herzegovina is Monday, July 6, at 1 p.m. Central Time against Serbia, and it will be streamed on DAZN.
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