Juancho Hernangómez
Juancho Hernangómez | |
|---|---|
| Born | Juan Alberto Hernangómez Geuer September 28, 1995 Spain |
| Occupation(s) | Professional basketball player, actor |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Known for | Basketball career in NBA and EuroLeague; acting in Netflix movie Hustle |
Juan Alberto "Juancho" Hernangómez Geuer (born 28 September 1995) is a Spanish professional basketball athlete currently playing for Panathinaikos in the Greek Basketball League (GBL) and the EuroLeague. Selected as the 15th overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in the 2016 NBA Draft, he competed in the NBA for seven seasons before making his return to European basketball. Hernangómez has earned recognition as an All-EuroLeague Second Team member and secured the EuroLeague title in 2024.
Internationally, he represents the senior Spanish national team, contributing to their triumph at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup and playing a pivotal role during Spain’s victory at EuroBasket 2022, where he led scoring with 27 points in the final against France. Outside of his basketball career, Hernangómez appeared in the 2022 Netflix movie Hustle alongside actor Adam Sandler.
Early career
Hernangómez’s competitive basketball journey began in 2007 with the youth squads of CB Las Rozas. He subsequently joined the youth ranks of Real Madrid before transferring to Club Baloncesto Majadahonda.
CB Estudiantes (2012–2016)
In 2012, Hernangómez inked his first professional deal with CB Estudiantes, initially competing with their reserve team until his elevation to the senior squad in 2014. During the 2015–16 ACB season, he posted averages of 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds across 34 games, earning the accolade of ACB Best Young Player.
Denver Nuggets (2016–2020)
Hernangómez entered the 2016 NBA draft on 26 April 2016 and was picked 15th overall by the Denver Nuggets. He finalized his rookie contract on 9 August 2016. On 4 January 2017, he was briefly assigned to the NBA Development League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce, but returned three days later after participating in one game. On 13 February 2017, Hernangómez delivered a season-best performance with 27 points and 10 rebounds during a victory over the Golden State Warriors, hitting six three-pointers as part of the Nuggets’ record-tying total of 24 triples in that game. Early in the following season (2017–18), a diagnosis of mononucleosis restricted him to just 25 appearances.
Minnesota Timberwolves (2020–2021)
On 5 February 2020, Hernangómez was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He later agreed to a three-year contract extension on 27 November 2020. The subsequent season proved difficult; he arrived at training camp out of shape, contracted COVID-19, lost his starting position, and experienced friction with management after they prevented him from competing in the 2021 Olympics due to a shoulder injury sustained during an exhibition match.
Boston Celtics (2021–2022)
On 25 August 2021, Hernangómez was traded alongside Jarrett Culver to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Patrick Beverley. Shortly thereafter, on 15 September, he was moved to the Boston Celtics as part of a deal involving Kris Dunn, Carsen Edwards, and rights related to a second-round pick swap set for 2026.
San Antonio Spurs (2022)
On 19 January 2022, Hernangómez was involved in a three-team trade that sent him to the San Antonio Spurs. This transaction also included the Denver Nuggets, resulting in Bol Bol and PJ Dozier moving to Boston, while Bryn Forbes was transferred to Denver.
Utah Jazz (2022)
Hernangómez was traded again on 9 February 2022, this time joining the Utah Jazz through another three-team deal. His tenure with the Jazz concluded when he was waived on 30 June 2022.
Toronto Raptors (2022–2023)
On 27 July 2022, Hernangómez agreed to a one-year veteran minimum contract with the Toronto Raptors. Throughout the 2022–23 season, he was often left out of the rotation and designated as a healthy scratch in multiple contests. The Raptors waived him on 28 February 2023 to create roster space for guard Will Barton.
Hernangómez expressed his astonishment at the decision to waive him, stating, "It surprised me when they waived me because I was really good in the locker room, good teammate and working hard every single day."
Panathinaikos (2023–present)
On 27 July 2023, Hernangómez returned to European basketball by signing a two-year contract worth €4.5 million with EuroLeague contender Panathinaikos.
His debut season in Athens was underwhelming, with head coach Ergin Ataman openly criticizing his performances. Nevertheless, Hernangómez showed marked improvement during his second year, establishing himself as an integral member of the team’s rotation.
Panathinaikos extended his contract on 3 January 2025, securing his services through 2027. A standout moment arrived during the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs, when Hernangómez earned MVP honors in Game 1 against Anadolu Efes following an outstanding display. His steady contributions throughout the campaign earned him a place on the All-EuroLeague Second Team. The Spanish publication AS remarked that he had finally "let loose" wearing the Panathinaikos jersey after a challenging start.
Junior national team
In 2013, Hernangómez represented the Spain national under-18 basketball team at the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship held in Latvia. He subsequently competed for Spain's under-20 squad at the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship for two consecutive years. Additionally, he participated as a practice player for the senior Spain national team during preparations for EuroBasket 2015.
Senior national team
Hernangómez debuted in senior international competition at EuroBasket 2017, where he averaged 8.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks over approximately 19.7 minutes per game. Spain concluded the tournament with a bronze medal.
In June 2018, he was selected for Spain’s roster during the initial phase of qualifying matches for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
At EuroBasket 2022, Hernangómez played a crucial role in Spain’s surprising gold medal victory, delivering a remarkable performance in the final against France by scoring 27 points including seven three-pointers. He finished third on the team in both scoring (12.8 points per game) and rebounding (5.0 per game). His brother, Willy, also played a key role and earned MVP honors for the tournament.
Regular season
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Denver | 62 || 9 || 13.6 || .451 || .407 || .750 || 3.0 || .5 || .5 || .2 || 4.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Denver | 25 || 3 || 11.1 || .387 || .280 || .833 || 2.2 || .5 || .2 || .1 || 3.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Denver | 70 || 25 || 19.4 || .439 || .365 || .767 || 3.8 || .8 || .4 || .3 || 5.8 |- | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| | style="text-align:left;"| Denver | 34 || 0 || 12.4 || .345 || .250 || .640 || 2.8 || .6 || .1 || .1 || 3.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Minnesota | 14 || 14 || 29.4 || .453 || .420 || .609 || 7.3 || 1.3 || 1.0 || .3 || 12.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Minnesota | 52 || 6 || 17.3 || .435 || .327 || .619 || 3.9 || .7 || .4 || .1 || 7.2 |- | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 18 || 0 || 5.3 || .185 || .167 || .667 || 1.4 || .2 || .2 || .1|| 1.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| San Antonio | 5||0||10.2||.333||.000||.750||3.0||.6||.2||.2||1.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Utah | 17||9||17.5||0.507||0.438||.476||3.5||.8||.4||0.5||6.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;" | Toronto |42||10||14.6||.421||.254||.563||2.9||.6||.4||.1||2.9
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | Career |339||76||15.5||.428||.342||.676||3.3||.6||.4||.2||5.0
Playoffs
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | |style="text-align:left;" | Denver |5||0||2.9|||0.333|||0.500|||—|||0.6|||—|||—|||—|||0.6
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | |style="text-align:left;" | Utah |6|||0|||9.3|||0.278|||0.333|||—|||2.0|||.8|||.3|||—|||2.3
|- class="sortbottom"
|style="text-align:center;" colspan=2 | Career |11|||0|||6.5|||0.286|||0.357|||—|||1.4|||0.5|||0.2|||—|||1.5
EuroLeague
| † | Indicates seasons Hernangómez secured the EuroLeague title |
| * | Top league leader |
|-
|style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;" | 2023–24† |style="text-align:left" rowspan=2 | Panathinaikos |31||7||16.4||0.356||0.264|||.756|||3.5|||0.5|||0.6|||0.3|||4.3|||5.8
|-
|style="text-align:left" | 2024–25 |40|||27|||27.2|||.501|||.430|||0,631|||style=background:#CFECEC; 7,0*]]| 1,4|||.9|||0,3||| 10,0||| 15,3
|- class=sortbottom
|style=text-align:center colspan=2 | Career |71|||34|||22,3|||0,460|||0,374|||0,679|||5,5|||1,0|||0,8|||0,3|||7,5|||11,1
Domestic leagues
| Year | Team | League | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Estudiantes | ACB | 4 | 3.4 | .333 | .500 | — | .5 | — | .2 | .2 | 0.7 |
| 2014–15 | ACB | 28 | 10.0 | .400 | .250 | .737 | 2.2 | .3 | .2 | .3 | 2.4 | |
| 2015–16 | ACB | 34 | 23.7 | .455 | .358 | .717 | 5.7 | .6 | .8 | .3 | 9.7 | |
| 2016–17 | Sioux Falls Skyforce | D-League | 1 | 26.0 | .429 | .200 | .571 | 11.0 | 1.0 | — | 2.0 | 17.0 |
| 2023–24 | Panathinaikos | GBL | 25 | 21.8 | .494 | .394 | .548 | 5.6 | 1.0 | .8 | .6 | 8.2 |
| 2024–25 | GBL | 25 | 21.4 | .521 | .379 | .666 | 6.0 | 1.2 | 1.0 | .4 | 9.6 |
Player profile
Hernangómez’s style on the court is often likened to NBA athletes such as Víctor Claver and Jonas Jerebko. He is recognized for his quickness, athletic ability, and an approximate wingspan of seven feet (2.13 m). The dynamic between him and his brother, Willy Hernangómez, has drawn comparisons to the prominent Spanish NBA duo, Marc Gasol and Pau Gasol.
Acting career
In 2022, Hernangómez made his acting debut in the sports drama Hustle, a Netflix production created by Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions alongside LeBron James’ SpringHill Company. He portrayed Bo Cruz, a gifted yet troubled Spanish streetball player who is discovered by Sandler’s character, scout Stanley Sugerman. The movie received favorable critiques, with particular acclaim directed at Hernangómez’s authentic and engaging portrayal. This role broadened his global profile beyond basketball, showcasing a successful shift into acting and notable chemistry with Sandler on screen.
Personal life
Hernangómez hails from a family deeply rooted in basketball tradition. His elder brother, Willy Hernangómez, currently represents FC Barcelona, having formerly played for the Pelicans, Hornets, Knicks, and Real Madrid. Their mother, Margarita Geuer Draeger, was part of Spain’s national team that secured the European championship in 1993. Their father competed professionally for Real Madrid and Estudiantes, while their younger sister is active within Estudiantes’ youth squad.