Santi Aldama credits his NBA growth to confidence, hard work, and playing against top competition. The Memphis big man is open to future possibilities, including a potential move to the Lakers, and aims to lead Spain in the coming EuroBasket.
Santi Aldama is currently the only Spaniard in the NBA, as was the case then with Fernando Martin and Pau Gasol in the 1980s and early 2000s, repectively.
The Memphis Grizzlies big man is averaging 12.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in his fourth year in the league, while shooting 37.6% from distance, another career high.
Aldama, 24, notes that his improvement is a matter of confidence.
"That's a big thing for any player," he told Javier Machicado from AS.
"I think I make really good decisions. When I have the ball in my hands, I can get myself and my teammates open. During the season, I work hard, but in the summer, I 'kill' myself on the court and in the gym.
Being with the national team also helps me a lot. It has made me grow, and that will continue to help me evolve as my career progresses," Aldama pointed out.
This summer, the Spanish international will be a free agent. Right now, the Grizzlies have a 38-23 record and are placed 4th in the Western Conference.
"First, we have to finish the season. Let's see if we can get what we want, and then we'll see. But I'm very happy in Memphis," Aldama commented, before laughing at the remark that he's started to look like a player who earns 15-20 million a year.
"My agent is already doing that," he replied.
"I'm just playing and trying to see if we can win as much as possible this year. If you win games, eventually the reward will come one way or another, and hopefully it will turn into a ring," he said.
Asked about whether the Los Angeles Lakers would be a good destination for him next season, Aldama left the door open.
"You never know," he said. "But yes, they're a great team."
Santi Aldama
| Team: |
Memphis Grizzlies |
| Position: | PF |
| Age: | 24 |
| Height: | 213 cm |
| Weight: | 98 kg |
| Birth place: | Las Palmas, Spain |
Aldama thinks his growth in Memphis can help him lead the Spanish national team.
"Playing against the best every day is the most important thing for this development," he observed.
"When you play against the best, both internationally and in the NBA, you develop and that is the most important thing. Everything I do, I do it also to prepare myself for the summer, to take charge of the national team," he admitted.
In the coming EuroBasket, Spain is defending its gold medal in Berlin. Aldama is a member of the new generation of players, who would like to replicate what their predecessors had achieved in previous tournaments.
"It's my first Eurobasket, so I am really looking forward to being able to debut and compete. Spain never plays a EuroBasket thinking that it can't win it. And we're going for it," he declared.
In 2022, Spain faced France in the title game. Aldama wouldn't mind going up against Victor Wembanyama's squad in the final in Riga this summer.
"Me, I'll always go with France," he said.
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