Raül López (basketball) facts for kids
López with Khimki Moscow Region in 2010.
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 15 April 1980 Vic, Spain |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2001 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24th overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Utah Jazz | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1998–2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | DKV Joventut | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Real Madrid | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Utah Jazz | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Akasvayu Girona | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Real Madrid | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Khimki Moscow Region | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2016 | Bilbao Basket | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Raül López Molist (born 15 April 1980) is a Spanish former professional basketball player. He was a talented point guard who played for many teams. One of his most famous teams was the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Raül López was born in Vic, a city in Catalonia, Spain. He was 6 feet tall and was known for his amazing skills on the court. He even appeared on the Spanish version of the NBA Live 2004 video game!
Contents
What Kind of Player Was Raül López?
Raül López was a very special basketball player. People often compared his style of play to famous NBA stars. He was known for being super fast on the court. He also had incredible "court vision," which means he could see everything happening around him. This helped him make amazing passes to his teammates.
He was also very unselfish, always looking to help his team score. López could also create his own shots. This skill is very important in both the NBA and the EuroLeague.
Raül López's Professional Basketball Journey
Playing in Europe
Raül López started his professional career early. In 1998, when he was just 18, he joined Joventut Badalona. This team plays in the Spanish ACB League.
In 2000, he moved to Real Madrid, another big Spanish team. He played there for two seasons. Later, in 2005, he signed with Akasvayu Girona. This team finished 7th in the 2005–06 ACB season.
Time in the NBA
In 2001, Raül López was chosen in the first round of the 2001 NBA draft. The Utah Jazz picked him as the 24th player overall. In September 2002, he signed his first NBA contract with the Jazz.
Unfortunately, he had to have surgery on his right knee. This meant he missed the entire 2002–03 NBA season. But he didn't give up! In the 2003–04 season, he was fully recovered. He played in all 82 regular season games. He was a backup to the main point guard, Carlos Arroyo. During this time, he averaged 7.0 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per game.
On August 3, 2005, López was traded from the Jazz. He went to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a huge trade. This trade involved five teams, 13 players, and two draft picks. However, he was later released from the Grizzlies team.
His last NBA game was on February 15, 2005. He played 12 minutes for the Jazz against the Los Angeles Lakers. In that game, he scored 7 points, had 1 assist, and 1 rebound.
Returning to Europe
After his time in the NBA, Raül López went back to Europe. In July 2006, he signed a contract to play for Real Madrid again. In 2009, he moved to Russia to play for Khimki Moscow Region.
In July 2011, he returned to Spain. He signed a two-year contract with Bilbao Basket. On March 3, 2016, Raül López announced that he would stop playing basketball. He retired at the end of the 2015–16 ACB season.
Playing for Spain: National Team Career
Junior National Teams
Raül López was a very important player for Spain's junior national teams. He helped them win gold medals. They won at the 1998 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. They also won at the 1999 FIBA Under-19 World Championship.
Senior National Team
López also played for the main Spain national basketball team. He played alongside Juan Carlos Navarro. They participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
He won a bronze medal at the EuroBasket 2001. Before the 2002 FIBA World Championship, he had another knee injury. This was the same knee he injured while playing for Real Madrid.
Despite injuries, he continued to achieve great things. He won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He also earned a gold medal at the EuroBasket 2009.
Career Statistics
Domestic Leagues
| Season | Team | League | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | DKV Joventut | Liga ACB | 1 | 18.0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | .500 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 10.0 |
| 1998–99 | 34 | 14.7 | .386 | .400 | .754 | 1.2 | 1.6 | .8 | .0 | 4.4 | ||
| 1999–00 | 32 | 23.7 | .515 | .380 | .836 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 1.2 | .0 | 10.1 | ||
| 2000–01 | Real Madrid | 43 | 21.1 | .545 | .412 | .784 | 1.7 | 2.4 | .9 | .0 | 7.7 | |
| 2001–02 | 14 | 21.1 | .517 | .227 | .788 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 1.5 | .0 | 8.3 | ||
| 2005–06 | Akasvayu Girona | 37 | 24.2 | .555 | .442 | .786 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 1.2 | .0 | 10.2 | |
| 2006–07 | Real Madrid | 43 | 22.4 | .437 | .319 | .863 | 2.0 | 3.7 | 1.0 | .0 | 5.8 | |
| 2007–08 | 34 | 21.0 | .575 | .435 | .942 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 1.1 | .0 | 8.1 | ||
| 2008–09 | 32 | 22.8 | .469 | .430 | .860 | 1.6 | 3.5 | 1.0 | .0 | 7.0 | ||
| 2009–10 | Khimki | Superleague A | 31 | 18.4 | .377 | .403 | .875 | 2.1 | 3.0 | .7 | .0 | 5.2 |
| VTB United League | 8 | 17.9 | .444 | .409 | 1.000 | 1.9 | 2.6 | .9 | .0 | 4.6 | ||
| 2010–11 | Russian PBL | 39 | 17.1 | .556 | .346 | .881 | 1.9 | 2.1 | .8 | .0 | 5.1 | |
| VTB United League | 11 | 17.2 | .500 | .619 | .538 | 1.9 | 1.8 | .6 | .1 | 5.6 | ||
| 2011–12 | Bilbao Basket | Liga ACB | 35 | 15.1 | .500 | .453 | .844 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.0 | .0 | 6.3 |
| 2012–13 | 29 | 20.9 | .479 | .256 | 1.000 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 1.1 | .0 | 5.8 | ||
| 2013–14 | 27 | 25.0 | .549 | .350 | .935 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 1.1 | .0 | 8.4 | ||
| 2014–15 | 36 | 18.9 | .521 | .310 | .889 | 1.3 | 2.7 | .7 | .0 | 8.0 |
See also
In Spanish: Raül López para niños
