Luka Garza Giving Back to Second Home

Luka Garza has always considered Iowa a second home.

So, when he decided to put together some summer camps and events to teach what he’s learned as a basketball player, Garza decided the state would be a perfect place to tour.

The former Hawkeye, a former national player of the year and consensus All-American, will be conducting three camps — August 16 in Davenport, August 17 in Cedar Rapids and August 19 in Urbandale. There will also be two events called An Evening With Luka, in Davenport and in Urbandale, where Garza and his father, Frank, will talk about their experiences of working together and answer questions from parents and camp participants.

“It means so much to me to be back in Iowa,” Garza said in a phone interview last week. “A lot of guys, when they start doing camps, they choose their hometowns. I kind of chose my second home, my home away from home. That’s how important Iowa is to me. It’s an incredible feeling to be in position to do that, to be able to share my knowledge of the game.”

Garza has worked youth camps before. Having one with his name on it is more special.

“It’s so fun to work with kids,” Garza said. “I’ve done it before, but I’ve never had my own camp. It is so much fun giving back, showing what you’ve learned through your basketball career. I think that’s the most important part of it.

“I’ve worked so hard to get where I’m at. I want to show people what hard work means, what does hard work entail, what are the things I do when I go into the gym every day.”

Garza is coming off his first season as a professional, playing with the Detroit Pistons as well as the G League’s Motor City Cruise. He’s a free agent now after playing for the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Summer League.

Garza averaged 5.8 points and 3.1 rebounds in 32 games with the Pistons, who picked him in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft. He averaged 20.6 points and 9.5 rebounds in the G League.

“I learned so much,” Garza said. “I was pretty lucky, as a late second-round pick, to experience so much as a rookie.

“It was so valuable in having the game slow down for me. Once you’re out there for longer than a three-minute or four-minute stretch, you just realize that we’re out there playing basketball. It was fun, I had some really good moments.”

There was an education, too, of what it was like to be a rookie player.

“I think I learned how important it is to keep my confidence and be who I am, no matter who I’m on the court with,” Garza said. “As a rookie, you want to fit in. But you have to be able to go out there and play your game, do what you do.

“I feel really, really confident, going into next year.”

Where he is going to go, though, still has to be determined. But Garza likes exploring his options.

“It’s definitely a cool experience, seeing what options fit you best,” he said. “Obviously you have to wait to see what kind of situation fits. It’s a valuable experience to learn what’s good for you.”

Garza finished his career at Iowa as the program’s leading scorer at 2,306 points. He ranks second all-time in rebounds with 931. He was a two-time first-team All-American and a consensus national player of the year in 2021. He was also a two-time player of the year in the Big Ten.

Garza is also looking forward to the events with his father, when he can talk about their relationship.

“It’s going to be a cool conversation,” he said. “My dad and I, people have always been interested in our relationship and how it works. What we’ve been through, stuff like that. I think it’s a cool platform to talk to the parents, and the kids. Talk to the fathers, and how they’re going through the basketball journey with their sons. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”