Luka Garza
A dominant college basketball force who rewrote record books with old-school post mastery in a modern game.
Born 1998 (age 28)·Bosnian-American basketball player·Birthday: December 27·Generation Z
Biography
Luka Garza won the 2021 Naismith Trophy as unanimous National Player of the Year at Iowa. The 6-foot-10 center averaged 24.1 points and 8.7 rebounds as a senior, numbers unseen in the Big Ten for decades. Born in 1998 to a former professional player, Garza built his game on a low-post arsenal of footwork, soft touch, and a developing three-point shot. He scored 2,306 career points for the Hawkeyes, finishing as the program's all-time leader. Questions about his defensive mobility dropped him to the 52nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Garza responded by extending his range and earning rotation minutes with the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves. His college production ranks among the highest in modern NCAA history.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Luka was born in 1998, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Luka Was Born
The biggest hits of 1998
#1 Movie
Saving Private Ryan
Best Picture
Shakespeare in Love
#1 TV Show
Seinfeld
Luka's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1998Born
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2003Started school
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2011Became a teenager
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Could drive
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2016Could vote
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2019Turned 21
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 28 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Unanimously awarded the National College Player of the Year (Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, etc.) in 2021.
- Set the University of Iowa's all-time scoring record with over 2,300 points.
- Named the Big Ten Player of the Year in both 2020 and 2021.
- Became the first player in Big Ten history to accumulate 2,000 points, 900 rebounds, and 150 blocked shots.
Did You Know?
He holds dual citizenship in the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina, representing the latter in international competition.
His father, Frank Garza, played professionally in Europe.
He was a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes excellence in community, classroom, character, and competition.
In high school, he played at the prestigious Maret School in Washington, D.C., alongside fellow future pro Obi Toppin for a season.
“I've always believed that hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.”
