Will always be an interesting hypothetical to wonder what he would've looked like in the NBA. Probably something along the lines of Manu's career. Can't blame him for choosing a great life at home over making more money and playing with the world's best in the NBA, I would probably do the same in his shoes--he's one of the GOATs over there and life's gotta be good. But it would've been cool to see him in the NBA.
Being a spaniard myself, I have to admit that Manu was much better than Llull. A couple of better comparisons would be Calderon and Ricky Rubio. His NBA career would have been in that range.
Juan Carlos Navarro was a great player, and probably more similar to Llull than the other 2, but he played only one year in the NBA. In FIBA basketball he is a legend. I compared Llull to the other 2 as most USA fans will know them better
Accolades: Two Olympic medals, one World Cup gold medal, three Eurobasket gold medals, three Euroleague titles, one Euroleague MVP, one All-Euroleague 1st Team selection, seven Spanish League titles, one Spanish League MVP Well-known in Houston as Daryl Morey’s elusive dream for years, Sergio Llull has always had a knack for making incredible shots. With an impressive collection of trophies and individual honors, he’s recognized as one of Europe’s most clutch players and a relentless winner for both the Spanish National Team and Real Madrid. In 2009, the Rockets bought his NBA rights from the Nuggets for a then-record $2.25 million for a second-round pick as part of a draft-and-stash strategy. However, Llull resisted some reportedly generous offers from the franchise and focused on Real Madrid, where he became arguably the best player in the club’s history. https://hoopshype.com/lists/best-players-never-play-nba/
HIS ROCKETS DEBUT IS HAPPENING THIS YEAR, FELLAS, WAIT FOR IT!!!! I'm not sure there was any take I got more tired of seeing than that Sergio LOL was just waiting in the wings for us.
I never understood the hate for Lull. He was happy in the Spanish league and built a legacy there. He saw that The NBA was going to be treated like a commodity, and he chose to stay away. He didn’t steal money from the Rockets, he didn’t deceive them. Sergio did not like that the Rockets were going to treat him like an end of the bench talent, and was very disposable. He said Real Madrid treated him with respect and like family. I think he’d of been an allstar without a doubt in the NBA, but he chose quality of life over prestige. Some fellas prefer to be a big fish in a small pond, than to find out if they are a big fish in a larger pond. I have family that lives in Spain and Sergio was a huge deal. Way better than Rubio ever dreamed to be.
But then you should understand why he gets hate here, he didn't want to play for the Rockets. And of course he would start his career at the end of the bench, most rookies do. Not sure why he felt like he was too big for that. That alone made fans feel a certain way about him
