Usman Garuba, Real Madrid center, has opened up about his serious Achilles injury, recovery process, and the EuroLeague Final defeat to Olympiacos.
Usman Garuba reached the best form of his career toward the end of the season before suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the EuroLeague Final Four semifinal against Valencia. As a result, Real Madrid entered the championship game without a healthy natural center, with Walter Tavares and Alex Len already sidelined by injuries.
“I’m doing well. I really am. I’m getting better every day. The thing is, I had never suffered this kind of injury before and I know my body very well. I thought, ‘It’s nothing, I can keep playing. I’ll go to the locker room and be back in a few minutes.’ But then they told me it was my Achilles. I thought, ‘Damn.’ I don’t even know how to explain it. A lot of people would have cried after hearing that news, but I didn’t feel that way.
At first I was angry. Then, honestly, I started laughing. I told myself these things happen. That’s part of sports. There’s no point giving it more importance than it deserves,” the Spain international told AS.
Garuba admitted his initial frustration quickly turned into acceptance.
“Honestly, I was angry at first. I kept asking myself, ‘Why me?’ But then I started laughing. These things happen. There are much worse situations than this. In the end, I’m going to recover.”
REAL MADRID HAVE NO CENTERS LEFT? 😳
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) May 22, 2026
Usman Garuba suffered an injury at the beginning of the fourth quarter😱 #F4GLORY pic.twitter.com/5XXKYaBa3N
The EuroLeague Final loss to Olympiacos was particularly difficult for the Real Madrid big man.
“It was very hard for me. After the injury, I just wanted to go home and not talk to anyone. But the medical staff told me I had to stay and support my teammates, and they were right.
It was incredibly difficult because it was the moment I had been dreaming about for weeks. I thought we were going to win the EuroLeague and that I would have the chance to show everything I could do. Instead, I was there in a wheelchair. Looking back, it’s almost funny, going everywhere in a wheelchair and meeting everyone. But these things happen. I’ll take it as another life experience.”
Usman Garuba also reflected on working under Sergio Scariolo, despite Real Madrid finishing the season without a trophy.
“Working with him every day is very similar to what it’s like with the national team. He tried to bring that same approach to Real Madrid, and we liked what he brought. I’m grateful for the opportunity he gave me, especially in the second half of the season, because I didn’t have many opportunities at the beginning. Later, he trusted me more, and I think it worked out well. Personally, I played well and helped the team a lot.
But this wasn’t the season we expected. There were problems off the court… A lot happened to us. The EuroLeague defeat still hurts. I’ll be honest: if just one of our three centers had been healthy, we would have won the EuroLeague. I’m convinced of that. But I don’t like talking about ‘what ifs.’ What happened, happened. Now we have to stay positive and focus on the next challenge,” Garuba concluded.
With the season now over, Real Madrid are expected to be one of the busiest teams in the EuroLeague transactions market, with major changes anticipated in the coming days.
