Luka Garza

Luka Garza is widely regarded as one of the best American college basketball players. He played for the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference, earning recognition as a consensus first-team All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year during his junior season.

Early Life

Luka Garza was born on December 27, 1998, and raised in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. His parents, Frank and Šejla Garza, were both professional basketball players. He has a younger sister named Tesa. Luka inherited his basketball talent from his father, who played collegiately at Idaho.

Garza holds American nationality and is of mixed heritage. His father is American, while his mother, of Bosniak origin, played professional basketball in Europe. She currently serves as an Executive Assistant at the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Washington, D.C.

High School Career

Luka Garza attended Maret School in Washington, D.C., where he played under coach Chuck Driesell, son of Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lefty Driesell. During his senior season, he averaged 24.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game. His outstanding performance led Maret School to the District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA) title game. He also earned D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year honors and graduated as his school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,933 points.

College Career

Freshman and Sophomore Years

Garza made an impressive college debut with 16 points against Chicago State. In the next game, he recorded his first double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in a win over Alabama State, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. As a freshman, he averaged 12.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

Just before his sophomore season, Garza underwent surgery to remove a nine-pound cyst from his spleen. Despite this setback, he delivered a strong performance in the NCAA Tournament, scoring 20 points and grabbing seven rebounds for Iowa. He finished the season with an average of 13.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.

Breakout Junior Season

On December 6, 2019, Garza scored a career-high 44 points, the third-most in Iowa history, in a loss to Michigan (103-91). His remarkable performances earned him the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week award. On December 12, he suffered a minor injury when he took an elbow to the face from teammate Joe Wieskamp during a game against Iowa State. Despite losing a tooth, he returned to finish the game with 21 points and 11 rebounds in an 84-68 victory.

Garza finished his junior season averaging 23.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, earning consensus first-team All-American honors. He initially declared for the 2020 NBA Draft but later withdrew his name on August 2, choosing to return to Iowa for his senior season.

Personal Life

Luka Garza is currently in a relationship with Maggie Mynderse. Based on social media posts, the couple started dating in early 2020. Maggie keeps her Instagram private, but she frequently attends Luka’s games to support him.

Garza has a strong social media presence, inspiring thousands of followers daily. He has over 37K followers on Instagram and is also active on Twitter.

Net Worth

Luka Garza has established himself as a talented basketball player, gaining immense recognition at a young age. His estimated net worth is around $1 million.

Trivia

• Garza chose Iowa over offers from Georgetown, Notre Dame, and Georgia.
• His paternal grandfather, James Halm, played college basketball for Hawaii.
• His maternal grandfather, Refik Muftić, was a professional goalkeeper for FK Sarajevo.
• On January 4, 2020, Garza scored 34 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in an 89-86 win over Penn State.
• He was named the Sporting News National Player of the Year.
• He currently resides in Iowa City, playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Luka Garza continues to be a dominant force in basketball, and his future in the sport looks incredibly promising.