Hugo Gonzalez is his own harshest critic, and he's been showing off that side of his persona during his first two games of Summer league play out in Las Vegas.
Hugo Gonzalez is his own harshest critic, and he's been showing off that side of his persona during his first two games of Summer league play out in Las Vegas.Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff
LAS VEGAS — The Spanish was clear throughout Cox Pavilion. Hugo Gonzalez had just made a turnover and admonished himself in his native tongue during a stoppage of play Monday against the Miami Heat.
The Celtics rookie guard made a plethora of mistakes during his first two summer league games as a professional. It’s expected.
Except from the 19-year-old Gonzalez. He holds himself to a higher standard, and those words he speaks to himself are a sign that he doesn’t believe in rookie mistakes and won’t excuse himself for turnovers and missed shots.
In two games, the Celtics latest first-round pick is 7 for 24 from the field, 4 for 12 from the 3-point line, to go with 9 assists, 11 rebounds, and 9 turnovers. His minutes have been filled with bright spots and those rookie mistakes, made threes and getting stripped in the backcourt.
For the lead 🫡 pic.twitter.com/IDtUveVeGT
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 15, 2025
It’s uncertain how much Gonzalez will continue this season for the Celtics, but the potential is apparent. Like many 19-year-olds that enter a grown man’s league, it’s going to take considerable time to become a rotation staple.
But that doesn’t mean the journey to success won’t be filled with painful and disappointing times.
Gonzalez was not happy after the Celtics’ 100-96 loss. He barely whispered during his interview with the media, and the demands are more than just an average first rounder. Not only did Gonzalez speak with the Boston reporters but answered questions in Spanish from two reporters who are detailing his NBA sojourn.
But, he said, he doesn’t feel pressure.
“I’m just trying to have a positive message to my mind after a turnover or missed shot,” he said. “I’m trying to have the mindset of I’ve got to make the best decision on the next play. I try to live with the mistakes. That’s what basketball means.”
Gonzalez is definitely being tested by opposing defenses. Against the Heat, he was hounded by Miami point guard Kira Lewis Jr., a former first-round pick. Summer league is filled with players trying to make impressions for all 30 teams, playing their hardest on the biggest stage, trying to outdo and even embarrass first-round picks with guaranteed contracts.
Gonzalez came to Las Vegas with a target on his back. He’s considered the overseas darling, the Real Madrid wonderkid who could be the next Spanish superstar. Yes, summer league players read Wikipedia pages, too.
“Obviously when you’re trying to adapt to somewhere, you’re not going to adapt in a day,” he said. “I just need to keep working. I’ve got a lot of room to improve and I’ve got to keep working hard with a hard mentality, where I’m going to have ups and downs but everything is going to be positive.”
Oopin’ & hoopin’ 🏀 pic.twitter.com/tm3iyRZRnI
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 15, 2025
What may have been surprising during this process are those conversations Gonzalez has with himself. Most players may slap their hands in disgust or curse aloud in anger after a mistake, but Gonzalez carries on a full conversation.
If that is his way of motivating himself or processing a mistake, the Celtics are fine with it.
“He’s a competitor and I love that about him,” summer league coach Matt Reynolds said. “And if he makes a mistake, I really appreciate that he cares.
“We tell him that we believe in him. We know that he’s a great player; we know what he can do for us. … Sulking about a play or sometimes beating himself up literally, stuff like that is not productive. It’s not going to help you lock into the next play. I don’t know what his best methods are for moving on, but I’ve only coached him for two games.”
When asked whether Gonzalez was too hard on himself, Reynolds said: “I don’t know. That’s not for me to judge. I think our whole team needed a next play mindset and we didn’t have that in the first half.
“The point is to be hard on yourself, knowing when you’re doing something wrong, and the most important thing is to improve it,” he said. “I’ve got two days before improving for the next game and that’s my plan.”
To Gonzalez, blaming his lack of play-making or his errors on pressure is an excuse — but this is a pressure situation. He just got to the States from Spain two weeks ago. He arrived in Boston, went right to practice, and then jumped on a plane to Las Vegas with his teammates to embark on this new journey.
“There’s no pressure,” he said. “The point is if I’m having a bad game, I’m not looking for excuses. Today I got a lot of turnovers, bad decisions, a lot of fouls. I wasn’t playing like I should play or they’re expecting me to play, so no excuses for that. I try to clean up my mind and work on the next game.”
The self-conversations will continue, and so will the improvement.
“When I look at my career 30 years away, I hope I can say, or at least I can think I did everything that was in my hands to be the best player I can be,” he said. “That’s what motivates me really for being a great player and keep improving, so I can contribute to team wins and championships.”
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.