Usman Garuba

Garuba was born in Madrid to Nigerian parents and joined the youth sections of Spanish club Real Madrid when he was 11 years old. In 2019, at age 17, he became the youngest player to start for the Real Madrid senior team and the youngest-ever ACB player to record a double-double. Garuba was named most valuable player (MVP) of the 2016 FIBA U16 European Championship at age 14 and has led Spain to three medals in FIBA tournaments.

On 30 October 2019, Garuba made his EuroLeague debut, recording 12 points, four rebounds, three steals, and a Performance Index Rating (PIR) of 20, against Bayern Munich.

In February 2018, Garuba gained his first Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT) experience with the Real Madrid under-18 team at the Munich qualifying tournament, after missing the previous edition with a quadriceps injury. He was selected to the All-Tournament Team, despite being one of the youngest participants. In the final tournament, Garuba averaged 12 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and was named ANGT Rising Star. In January 2019, he was named MVP of the ANGT Munich tournament after averaging 16.5 points, seven rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. Garuba helped Real Madrid win the final tournament and joined MVP Mario Nakić on the All-Tournament Team.

On 28 October 2018, at 16 years and seven months of age, Garuba debuted for Real Madrid in the Liga ACB, the first-tier league in Spain, against Miraflores. He became the youngest center in ACB history, surpassing José Ángel Antelo, and the third-youngest Real Madrid debutant, behind Luka Dončić and Roberto Núñez. Garuba started the 2019–20 season as a regular member of Real Madrid in the ACB. In his first game versus Joventut Badalona, at 17 years, six months, and 19 days of age, he eclipsed Dončić as Real Madrid's youngest-ever starter. On 29 September, Garuba recorded 13 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Murcia to become the youngest player with a double-double or 10 rebounds in ACB history, upstaging Dončić for both records. He was also the second-youngest player with an efficiency of 24 in the ACB, behind only Ricky Rubio.

In the 2017–18 season, Garuba played for Real Madrid B, the reserve team for Real Madrid in the Liga EBA, the fourth-tier league in Spain. In 11 games, he averaged 11.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. In the 2018–19 season, he continued to primarily play for Real Madrid B, averaging 14.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game over 22 Liga EBA appearances. Even though he was only 16 years old, he was touted as one of the most dominant players in the league.

In the summer of 2017, Garuba was unable to return to national team duty because he was recovering from a knee injury suffered earlier that year. At the 2018 FIBA U16 European Championship in Novi Sad, Serbia, he averaged 16.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game and led Spain to a silver medal, earning a spot on the All-Star Five. Garuba helped Spain win a gold medal at the 2019 FIBA U18 European Championship in Volos, Greece, joining his teammate and MVP Santi Aldama on the All-Star Five after averaging 15.6 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game.

Garuba made his junior national team debut for Spain at the 2016 FIBA U16 European Championship in Radom, Poland. He was named MVP after leading his team to a gold medal and averaging 16.3 points, 12.4 rebounds, and a tournament-leading 2.9 blocks per game. A 14-year-old and the second youngest player in the tournament, Garuba became the first player from a lower age group to ever win MVP at the event. After recording 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 blocks in the final against Lithuania, he joined Dario Šarić and Ricky Rubio as the only players in history with a triple-double in the final of the tournament.

In 2013, Garuba joined the lower categories of Real Madrid. He quickly drew attention for his physical prowess, standing 1.89 m (6 ft 2  ⁄2  in) and weighing 81 kg (179 lbs) at age 12. In 2015, at age 12, Garuba helped his team win the Minicopa Endesa, an under-14 Spanish club tournament. He debuted by posting 24 points and 16 rebounds in a win over Valencia. In the following year, Garuba led Real Madrid to another Minicopa title and was named most valuable player (MVP). He averaged 22.8 rebounds per game in the tournament, grabbing 32 against Joventut Badalona in the final.

Born in Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid, Garuba was raised in the neighborhood of Villaverde Alto and the municipality of Azuqueca de Henares (province of Guadalajara). He grew up playing football, his original passion, but switched to basketball because his exceptional height limited his success in the former sport. Garuba idolized former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In November 2011, he joined Escuela Municipal de Baloncesto de Azuqueca (Municipal Basketball School of Azuqueca), where coach and coordinator David Serrano helped him start his basketball career.

Usman Garuba Alari (born 9 March 2002) is a Spanish professional basketball player for Real Madrid of the Liga ACB. He is a 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) center and plays for the Spanish under-18 national team. He is one of the best international prospects in the 2021 NBA draft.

Garuba's parents are from Benin City, Nigeria but left to escape conflict in their hometown. After initially moving to Brussels, they settled in Madrid in the 1990s without work permits. His father, Mustapha, works for manufacturing company Bimbo in Guadalajara, and his mother, Betty, works for the Azuqueca employment program. Garuba has one younger brother, Sediq (b. 2004) and a younger sister, Uki (b. 2010).