Sergio Llull Spanish Basketball Player From Maó

Early life

Sergio Llull Melià was born on 15 November 1987 in Maó, on the island of Menorca. He came through the youth ranks of La Salle Maó and then moved to the Catalan mainland to join the junior system of Manresa. His first professional season was 2005-06 with Bàsquet Manresa in the Spanish top flight, and in the same season he was loaned to Club Bàsquet Olesa, a team in the fourth tier. He went back to Manresa for 2006-07, when the club played in the second division, and then left for Real Madrid in 2007.

Career

Llull has spent his entire senior career in Madrid since 2007, extending his contract several times: in 2009, again in 2010, once more in 2012, and in the summer of 2015 on a deal running to the 2020-21 season. He became a leading figure in the team, and in 2026 he signed for yet another season, to 2027, which made him the first player to appear in twenty EuroLeague seasons. He is the club captain and its all-time leading scorer.

The 2014-15 season was a high point. Real Madrid won the EuroLeague by beating Olympiacos in the final, and then took the Spanish league title with a sweep of Barcelona, completing a treble of Liga ACB, Copa del Rey and EuroLeague. Llull was named most valuable player of the Spanish league finals. He received the EuroLeague's most valuable player award for 2016-17, the same year he was picked for the competition's first team. Real Madrid took the EuroLeague again in 2018 with a final win over Fenerbahce, and a third title for Llull came in 2023, when his jump shot in the last seconds against Olympiacos settled a 79-78 final. In 2026 he reached another final, which Olympiacos won.

His draft history ran separately from his club career. He was chosen in the second round of the 2009 NBA draft, 34th overall, by the Denver Nuggets, and his rights then moved to the Houston Rockets. In November 2020 they were traded to the New York Knicks. Llull stayed in Europe throughout.

With Spain, Llull won gold at the 2004 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship and silver at the 2007 Under-20 event. He has been a regular in the senior side, which won EuroBasket gold in 2009, 2011 and 2015 and bronze in 2013. At the Olympics he took silver in 2012 and bronze in 2016, and in 2019 he was part of the Spanish team that won the FIBA World Cup. He also played at the 2010 world championship, the 2014 World Cup, and the Olympic Games in 2020 and 2024.

Recognition

At club level Llull has won the Spanish league eight times (2007, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2024) and the Copa del Rey seven times, along with nine Spanish Supercup titles and the 2015 FIBA Intercontinental Cup, where he was also the most valuable player. He holds the EuroLeague record for three-pointers made. His individual honours include a place on the all-EuroLeague second team in 2011 and first team in 2017, selection to the competition's all-decade team, most valuable player of the Spanish league in 2017, and Copa del Rey MVP in 2012 and 2017. Spanish league finals MVP awards came in 2015 and 2016.

Early in his career he was known for speed and athletic finishing in the open court. Later his reputation rested on long-range shooting and decisive baskets in close games. He began as a shooting guard in EuroLeague play and later moved increasingly into the point guard role for his club, while with the national team he mostly played on the wing of the backcourt.