Gustavo Ayón: “I was never completely happy in the NBA”

In December 2011, Gustavo Ayón became the third Mexican to play in the NBA, but the experience wasn’t the fairy tale every basketball player dreams of.

Ayón would go on to dominate the European courts after a baptism of fire in the NBA. Even today, over a decade after his last game in the best league in the world, the experience remains a bitter thorn in his side.

Fourteen years after joining the league, and nine years after leaving for Spain, where his career regained color and prestige, the Nayarit native recalls that ill-fated project. The incomplete dream. “I fulfilled my dream in the NBA. I enjoyed it immensely, but I was never completely happy, because the NBA has its difficulties for players who don’t have an important role with their teams. I was always a role player, in New Orleans, in Orlando, in Milwaukee, until my opportunity came in Atlanta,” recalled ‘El Titán’, now mayor of Compostela, in an interview with AS USA.

“With the Hawks, I was playing 20-25 minutes per game, averaging 9 points and 7 rebounds. I started to play significant minutes. I started to feel good, very good, and there was talk about renewing my contract and staying with the team... until my right shoulder injury. I didn’t want to be in the NBA anymore. That was when the opportunity to return to Europe arose,” he explains with a hint of nostalgia.

The rest is history. Europe redeemed the Mexican center, who won 12 titles with Real Madrid, including two Euroleague titles, which he shared with stars like Luka Doncic, Facundo Campazzo, Sergio Llull, Felipe Reyes, and Andrés Nocioni. It wasn’t a second wind; it was a true realization: “The dream I never had.”

The Titan’s numbers in the NBA

Despite his lack of consistency and injuries, Ayón remains the fourth Mexican (out of six) to have played the most games in the NBA. His record is higher than that of both Horacio Llamas and Jorge Gutiérrez; however, he remains below Jaime Jáquez Jr., Juan Toscano, and Eduardo Nájera in the all-time tally.

The Zapotán native appeared in 135 games over three seasons in the top league (11-12, 12-13, and 13-14). His averages per game are 4.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 53.6% field goal shooting, 0.7 steals, 0.5 blocks, 0.9 turnovers, and 16.7 minutes.

He started 41 times and his most prolific period occurred with the Hornets, in his debut year: 54 games, 24 starting lineups, 20 minutes per game and 5.9 points on average.

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