Mario Hezonja

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Mario Hezonja is a Croatian basketball player who currently plays for Real Madrid in Spain’s Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He was born on February 25, 1995, in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and is 2.06 meters tall (6 ft 9 in). He plays as a small forward or power forward.

Hezonja was the fifth overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. He began his professional career with Barcelona in Spain, then joined the NBA in 2015. He played for the Orlando Magic (2015–2018), the New York Knicks (2018–2019), and the Portland Trail Blazers (2019–2020). In 2021 he played for Panathinaikos in Greece, then for UNICS Kazan in Russia (2021–2022). He joined Real Madrid in 2022.

With Real Madrid, Hezonja won the EuroLeague title in 2023 and was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team in 2024. He also earned individual honors in other leagues, including MVP of the VTB United League in 2022.

Internationally, Hezonja has represented Croatia at the World Cup (2014), EuroBasket (2015), and the 2016 Olympics. His uncle died while fighting for Croatia in the war of independence.