Spain has always been a soccer country and it’s evident by their success in winning FIFA World Cups for both men and women! However, Spain has risen in the ranks, gradually becoming a strong basketball nation since the turn of the century in 2000. A BIG reason for this was the presence of Marc and Pau Gasol. The 2 brothers have inspired incoming generations of fans and players.

One of them is Santi Aldama, the towering Spanish center who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. He is the torchbearer for Spanish basketball, as he has been their national team’s star player and is currently the only active Spaniard in the NBA! Aldama has come a long way from looking up to Gasols to playing for the same team. Let’s take a closer look at his family roots, hometown, and more.

Where was Santi Aldama born? A look into the Memphis Grizzlies star’s nationality and background

Santi Aldama’s journey to the NBA began in his hometown of Las Palmas, a city in the Canary Islands. He is Spanish by nationality. It was on this very tropical island, where a young Santi would pick up a basketball for the very first time in his life! As for his religious beliefs, there isn’t any concrete information available on the internet yet, nor has the player ever spoken about it. Born on January 10, 2001, Aldama belongs to a family with a rich basketball heritage, as his father and uncle were both professional basketball players.

His dad was even part of the Spain National team that faced the famous USA Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics. “[We] had that basketball gene,” Aldama revealed in an interview. It was only obvious for a young kid like Santi to want to be like his dad and follow in his footsteps, and he did exactly that! His father and uncle were pivotal in shaping Santi’s career as a hoopster.

Further, when Santi Aldama’s career at Canterbury Basketball Academy came to a close, Aldama had to make a decision. He wasn’t sure whether to play professionally in Spain like his heroes Pau and Marc or move to the US and enter the collegiate circuit.

He took the lesser-traveled road and came to Loyola University, which wasn’t a basketball powerhouse; only two players had made it to the NBA- Jerry Harkness (1960s) and Alfredrick Hughes (mid-1980s).

But after Aldama’s second season at Loyola, he averaged 21.2 points and realized the NBA was within his grasp! Later, the Jazz selected him as the 30th overall pick and shipped him to the Grizzlies a month later. Although transitioning from college to the NBA was difficult, Santi has settled into the biggest hoops league after multiple runs in the G League.

Has Santi Aldama represented the Spain National Team on international floors?

Besides the NBA, Santi Aldama has been a regular for the Spanish NT at several levels. He made his debut for his country at the 2017 FIBA U16 European Championship in Podgorica, Montenegro, where he averaged 5.4 rebounds. Aldama also led his team to Gold at the FIBA U18 European Championship in Greece, averaging 18 points while he grabbed 7.6 rebounds and dished out 2.6 assists per game. This performance earned Santi Aldama the MVP title, and he was also named on the All-Star Five of the Championship!