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"I played GTA" - Celtics' Hugo Gonzalez reveals why Los Angeles was on his bucket list
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- "I played GTA" - Celtics' Hugo Gonzalez reveals why Los Angeles was on his bucket list
For young NBA players, making it to the league comes with a few perks. Getting to visit cities they might never have seen otherwise is one of them.
Hugo Gonzalez of the Boston Celtics knows that feeling. He, in fact, recently talked about it on the "White Noise Podcast with Derrick White."
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And when you come from Spain as he did, it must seem like he's living a movie straight out of the video game.
Why GTA put L.A. on his list
Gonzalez is from Madrid. The city ranked fifth in Resonance Consultancy's World's Best Cities 2026 report . It's a pretty high score. Still, even if it's his home, there was another city he wanted to see during his rookie season.
"I wanted to go to L.A.," he told White and co-host Alex Welsh.
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Why LA? It wasn't just about the city itself.
"I played GTA," Gonzalez added.
He didn't specify which one, but since we're talking about a 20-year-old, it must've been Grand Theft Auto V. It's one of the most popular games ever, having sold more than 230 million copies since its 2013 release.
The game's sequel? It's almost here. The hype is everywhere. Gonzalez will probably get caught up in it, too. He just has to keep his priorities straight. Steven Adams has emphasized as much. He joked that performance around the league would "plummet" once GTA VI comes out.
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The Celtics forward wants more of L.A.
In GTA V, Los Santos is based on Los Angeles. Del Perro Beach and its pier are modeled after Santa Monica. That's where Gonzalez ended up on his first trip to L.A. He stayed at what he called a "really nice hotel" in the area.
Sunny Los Angeles didn't quite live up to its reputation, though. Just like during his first trip to Miami, it rained. Still, Gonzalez liked it. As he put it, the City of Angels was "cool" after he got to explore a little with a buddy.
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The C's will spend a couple of days there again this season. Gonzalez usually doesn't do much when he travels. He tends to stay at the hotel. Maybe go out and grab something to eat. This time, though, he sounds like he has other plans.
"I'm going to get out of the hotel and see what's going on," he remarked.
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First impressions can change
L.A. won him over despite the rain. Other parts of the U.S.? Not quite as much.
Texas, for example, isn't really his thing. Not that Hugo has anything against the state. It's just very different from what he's used to in Europe.
Most cities there have something happening on the streets, just like Boston, as Gonzalez pointed out. People are out and about. That's something he simply doesn't find in the "Texas cities." Gonzalez also isn't a fan of having to "take the car for whatever you need to do," as he described life over there.
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Could his opinion change over time? White's own experience suggests it might. The 2023 NBA champ admitted he didn't like New York at first. Now, however, he calls it a "fun place."
At 20 years of age, he has more than enough time to discover which cities he really likes.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
