Getty Al Horford defends Mario Hezonja during a 2018 bout between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks.
Mario Hezonja never quite lived up to the hype he had as a top-five pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He definitely had his moments over the course of a five-year run in the league, though, including during his 2018-19 campaign with the New York Knicks.
His battles with LeBron James quickly became the stuff of legend.
Flash forward to now and Hezonja is in the midst of a star turn in Europe. Moreover, recent reports have indicated that he’s signed on the dotted line with one of the most storied basketball teams in the entire world (outside of the Association).
That said, some of those reports are conflicting in nature, and Hezonja himself has all but declared his love for his current club, which is a whole other ball of wax.
Hezonja Denies Reports, But…
As relayed by Eurohoops and other outlets late last month, Hezonja and Real Madrid of Liga ACB had come to an agreement on a two-year pact bringing the baller back to Spain. In short order, though, Hezonja refuted those reports in a big, bad way.
“Personally, I haven’t talked with anyone,” he claimed, via translation, through his Russian club, UNICS. “I knew about such rumors following our elimination from EuroLeague. It seemed like multiple teams, including Final Four participants, showed interest in signing me for the remainder of the season or for the next season.”
He added: “I am happy I stayed, because I really wanted to win the VTB United League and finish the season in Kazan… My representatives never told me about other offers because they understood my preference in staying with my teammates and the coaching staff of our club.”
Hezonja averaged 16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game across all competitions for UNICS in 2021-22.
The 27-year-old is one of just a smattering of foreign-born ballers who elected to remain in Russia after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, a move that has been met with consequences for some players in their home countries.
Russian teams are currently on suspension from EuroLeague play.
Setting all of that aside, it looks as though the former Knick may still be joining up with Real Madrid. No official announcement has been made as of this writing but, according to Gazzetta.gr — by way of BasketNews — the two sides have reached a “final agreement” on a deal.
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Hezonja Isn’t a Fan of the NBA
Before returning to his Euro roots, Hezonja played in 330 games from 2015 to 2020 with the Knicks, Orlando Magic and Portland Trail Blazers, averaging 6.9 points and 3.1 boards per contest. Despite his unfulfilled potential as a lottery pick, he told a Russian outlet earlier this year that he’s not seeking a comeback in the US.
In doing so, he was less than flattering about the NBA game.
“There are a lot of things that I don’t like there. I have no desire to return to the NBA, I saw a lot of things there,” Hezonja said, via translation. “I didn’t get as much respect on the court as I deserved. In addition, in my opinion, basketball in the NBA is more of a show than a game.”
He did say some nice things about his time in the Big Apple, though.
“I ended up with the New York Knicks, in a cool organization,” he said. “I learned there to take care of my health, my body and my diet. It was there that I created myself as a player. Because it was a completely different level of self-care, just like preparation is a completely different level.”
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