Real Madrid is bringing back one of its own as Usman Garuba, the 22-year-old center, returns to the club where he was trained. After three years in the NBA, Garuba has signed a three-season deal with the Spanish giants, keeping him at the club until June 2027.
Garuba left for the NBA in the summer of 2021 after being drafted 23rd overall by the Houston Rockets. However, his time in the United States was challenging, as he found himself in a team undergoing a difficult rebuilding phase following the departure of superstar James Harden. In two seasons with the Rockets, Garuba struggled to find his footing, playing just 99 games and spending time in the G League. His NBA averages of 2.9 points and 3.9 rebounds reflected the uphill battle he faced in a young, disorganized squad.
The 2023 NBA offseason saw Garuba caught up in a flurry of trades. He passed through the Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder before landing a two-way contract with the Golden State Warriors, where he split his time between the main team and the Santa Cruz Warriors in the Development League. Although he had some promising performances in Santa Cruz, averaging 12.8 points and 10.5 rebounds, his NBA dream never fully materialized.
Now, Garuba returns to Spain with the same club where he made his name, Real Madrid. In the Endesa League and Euroleague, Garuba initially stood out for his physicality and defensive prowess, traits that earned him a reputation as a versatile and formidable defender. His standout performance came in the 2021 Euroleague quarterfinals against Anadolu Efes, where he played a key role in pushing the eventual champions to the brink of elimination.
Returning to Madrid, Garuba aims to rekindle his career and make a significant impact in both domestic and European competitions, bringing with him the experience gained from his time in the NBA.
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| LA LIGA | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | |||
| POS | TEAM | M | +/- | P |
| 1 | Barcelona | 30 | 54 | 67 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 30 | 32 | 63 |
| 3 | Atletico Madrid | 29 | 24 | 57 |
| 4 | Athletic Club | 29 | 22 | 53 |
| 5 | Real Betis | 30 | 4 | 48 |
| 6 | Villarreal | 28 | 12 | 47 |
| 7 | Celta Vigo | 30 | 1 | 43 |
| 8 | Rayo Vallecano | 30 | -2 | 40 |
| 9 | Mallorca | 30 | -8 | 40 |
| 10 | Real Sociedad | 29 | -4 | 38 |
| 11 | Getafe | 29 | 1 | 36 |
| 12 | Sevilla | 29 | -6 | 36 |
| 13 | Girona | 30 | -9 | 34 |
| 14 | Osasuna | 29 | -9 | 34 |
| 15 | Valencia | 30 | -13 | 34 |
| 16 | Espanyol | 29 | -9 | 32 |
| 17 | Alaves | 30 | -11 | 30 |
| 18 | Leganes | 29 | -18 | 27 |
| 19 | Las Palmas | 29 | -15 | 26 |
| 20 | Valladolid | 29 | -46 | 16 |
| POS | TEAM | M | +/- | P |
| 1 | Liverpool | 8 | 12 | 21 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 8 | 15 | 19 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 8 | 13 | 19 |
| 4 | Inter | 8 | 10 | 19 |
| 5 | Atletico Madrid | 8 | 8 | 18 |
| 6 | Bayer Leverkusen | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| 7 | Lille | 8 | 7 | 16 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 8 | 7 | 16 |
| 9 | Atalanta | 8 | 14 | 15 |
| 10 | Borussia Dortmund | 8 | 10 | 15 |
| 11 | Real Madrid | 8 | 8 | 15 |
| 12 | Bayern München | 8 | 8 | 15 |
| 13 | AC Milan | 8 | 3 | 15 |
| 14 | PSV Eindhoven | 8 | 4 | 14 |
| 15 | Paris Saint Germain | 8 | 5 | 13 |
| 16 | Benfica | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 17 | Monaco | 8 | 0 | 13 |
| 18 | Stade Brestois 29 | 8 | -1 | 13 |
| 19 | Feyenoord | 8 | -3 | 13 |
| 20 | Juventus | 8 | 2 | 12 |
| 21 | Celtic | 8 | -1 | 12 |
| 22 | Manchester City | 8 | 4 | 11 |
| 23 | Sporting CP | 8 | 1 | 11 |
| 24 | Club Brugge KV | 8 | -4 | 11 |
| 25 | Dinamo Zagreb | 8 | -7 | 11 |
| 26 | VfB Stuttgart | 8 | -4 | 10 |
| 27 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 8 | -8 | 7 |
| 28 | Bologna | 8 | -5 | 6 |
| 29 | FK Crvena Zvezda | 8 | -9 | 6 |
| 30 | Sturm Graz | 8 | -9 | 6 |
| 31 | Sparta Praha | 8 | -14 | 4 |
| 32 | RB Leipzig | 8 | -7 | 3 |
| 33 | Girona | 8 | -8 | 3 |
| 34 | Red Bull Salzburg | 8 | -22 | 3 |
| 35 | Slovan Bratislava | 8 | -20 | 0 |
| 36 | BSC Young Boys | 8 | -21 | 0 |
| LA LIGA | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | |
| R. Lewandowski | 25 Goals | Barcelona |
| Kylian Mbappé | 22 Goals | Real Madrid |
| A. Budimir | 15 Goals | Osasuna |
| Raphinha | 13 Goals | Barcelona |
| Oihan Sancet | 13 Goals | Athletic Club |
| Raphinha | 11 Goals | Barcelona |
| S. Guirassy | 10 Goals | Borussia Dortmund |
| H. Kane | 10 Goals | Bayern München |
| J. David | 9 Goals | Lille |
| R. Lewandowski | 9 Goals | Barcelona |
