After developing through Real Madrid’s youth ranks and earning time with their senior squad, Hugo González made the leap to the NBA last summer by signing with the Boston Celtics.
Now gearing up for his rookie season, the young Spaniard has already made an impression – but recent reports hinted at a supposed language barrier causing issues, something head coach Joe Mazzulla firmly rejected.
“Who reported that he was struggling with the language barrier? He’s not. He speaks multiple languages. Actually, people should be speaking to him in his native language – anyone from the media who speaks Spanish should talk to him in Spanish,” Mazzulla stated.
“I didn’t like that headline because he doesn’t have any issue understanding. It’s important for us to meet people where they are and speak their language. I was pretty pissed about that.”
Mazzulla even made it clear that he personally adapts his communication to support the young guard.
“At this point, I only yell at him in Spanish – but we also have conversations. He can speak both languages and does a great job understanding what’s going on out there. Right now, we argue in Spanish, but we’ll get to the point where we’ll do other stuff too.”
Despite outside noise, the Celtics’ coach has been openly impressed by González’s attitude and approach.
“The kid just wants to win and get better. He’s been well coached, comes from a good system, does everything I ask of him, and keeps improving,” Mazzulla said.
Joe Mazzulla wanted to clear the air after reports suggested Hugo González was having trouble with the language barrier.
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 11, 2025
“Who reported that he was struggling with the language barrier? He’s not. I was pretty pissed about that.” #NBAhttps://t.co/PpZsORZ59M
