Sergio Llull Bio: Stats, Injury, NBA, Wife & Salary

Sergio Llull Melia is a Spanish professional basketball player who plays point guard/shooting guard for Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague.

Starring in the sports industry, every athlete dreams of playing in the highest leagues and continuing to compete against top-tier players.

Most aspiring basketball players dream of playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and we can find the best of the best competing in the league.

On the contrary, Sergio is the exact opposite. He said no to the NBA despite being chased by the NBA franchise.

The Spanish player started his professional career with Basquet Manresa, aka Baxi Manresa, of the Liga ACB.

He was selected in the NBA with the 34th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets, but his draft rights were sold to the Houston Rockets and later to the New York Knicks.

In this article, we will learn about the professional and personal life of ‘the man who told the NBA, “No.” Before diving deep, let’s start with the quick facts; 

Quick Facts

Early Life & Family 

Sergio Llull Melià was born in Mahon, Menorca, Spain, on November 15, 1987, under the Scorpio’s sun sign. 

Llull is the son of a former player, Paco Llull, and a grandson of a coach. Indeed, his sports family background helped him to pursue and take an interest in the games.

Besides, he has a brother named Ivan Llull. The Spanish player started training in La Salle Mao, where his grandfather coached his father.

As we all know, soccer is popular in Spain, and Llull was also into soccer growing up.

Professional Career

As a youth, Llull showcased his promising future and later joined the Liga ACB club Manresa. He also played on loan for the Spanish 4th Division club Finques Olesa in the 2005-06 season. 

Following it, in 2009, Denver Nuggets drafted Llull with the 34th overall pick in that year’s NBA draft, and his draft right were traded to the Houston Rockets for approximately $2.25 million, then a most expensive deal for a draft’s second round.

Eventually, the Rockets traded Lull’s draft rights to the New York Knicks on November 27, 2020.

Real Madrid

In 2007, Llull joined the Spanish EuroLeague club Real Madrid and exercised a club option in 2009 and again in 2010 to extend his contract with Real Madrid through 2014.

After an impressive season, Llull bagged the 2012 Spanish King’s Cup tournament MVP award.

The shooting guard inked another contract extension, keeping him with the team until the 2017-18 season.

In the 2014-15 season, he led his team to the EuroLeague title win, defeating Olympiacos, which followed the Spanish League championship.

With their Spanish league title, they won the triple crown, and Llull was named the Spanish League Finals MVP of 2015.

After a brilliant winning spree, Llull and Real Madrid agreed on a 6-year contract extension, including a per-season salary of $2.97 million and a record buyout option of $31.45 million.

He was named the EuroLeague MVP of the 2016-17 season for his impressive 543 points in 33 games.

Furthermore, he bagged the 2017–18 EuroLeague season championship and claimed their second EuroLeague title in four seasons.

National Team 

Sergio made his first appearance for the national team in 2004 for the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, where he bagged the gold.

Following it, he was part of the U-20 national team and won silver at the 2007 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship.

Llull has also played with the senior men’s Spain national basketball team and won gold at the FIBA World Cup, three gold medals at the EuroBasket (2009, 2011, and 2015), silver at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and bronze medals at the EuroBasket 2013 and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Besides, he partook in the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics

The two-time Olympian was on the Spain men’s national basketball team’s 2020 roster. This was his third Olympic appearance, and he hoped to bring the gold home.

As of now, Spain has never won an Olympic gold medal in the men’s basketball category.

Furthermore, the Spanish players can be seen working hard and training to change history and bring Spain their first Olympic gold medal in the men’s basketball category.

Besides that, the men’s national basketball team was coached by Italian professional basketball coach Sergio Scariolo.

In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Spain was placed in Group C, and their first match was up against the host country, Japan.

They advanced to the quarterfinals, where they were handed an 81-95 loss by the USA, hence crushing the Spanish player’s hope of winning gold that year.

Playing Style And Stats

Llull is one of the most decorated athletes, playing in the EuroLeague, and averages 10.0 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 rebounds in 22.55 minutes per game.

As a matter of fact, Llull first commenced playing as a shooting guard; however, he shifted to a point guard position in the latter half of the club career. 

He makes the most out of his defensive skills and shows aggressive gameplay. Not to mention, he is also a volume shooter while pressuring the defense in transition.

Additionally, Llull is a good speed handler, while shooting remains his top skill. 

Achievements And Highlights

Injury

Back in 2017, Sergio Llull tore his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) during the first quarter of Spain’s 89–71 loss against Belgium in a pre-tournament friendlies.

Therewith, he was helped off the court and was rushed to a local hospital for a medical examination.

He underwent surgery at Hospital Quiron Salud in Tenerife, due to which he missed most of the season.

Then, again, in 2021, Llull faced arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and was sidelined.

The professional basketball player sustained an injury to the internal lateral ligament on his left knee during the quarterfinals of the 2023 Copa del Ray and was ruled out for the rest of the eight-team tournament.

Net Worth, Contract, And Endorsements

Sergio Llull has a net worth of $10 million as of 2025, and his previous salary with Real Madrid was $2.97 million per year.

Since there has never been an official announcement for his new deal after the expiration of his previous 6-year contract extension in the 2020-21 season, it is reported that his earnings are also dropped well below.

Besides, he endorses several brands, which include a footwear and apparel endorsement deal with Nike, and an energy drink, Red Bull.

Personal Life

Wife And Kids

Sergio Llull is a family man. His love story is a fairy tale where he marries his longtime girlfriend.

According to the sources, he started dating Almudena Canovas in 2010, and after being together for several years, he tied the knot with his sweetheart.

Apparently, their wedding took place in the church of Santa María de Mahón (Menorca) on July 1, 2017. Many notable figures like Pau Gasol, Rudy Fernández, and Felipe Ryes attended the event alongside their friends and family.

Furthermore, Almudena’s wedding attire was designed by Helena Marque, and Sergio Llull was wearing a black suit with a tie. 

Later they also hosted a party. During the event, Canovas was adorned in a short-sleeved black bow at the waist and a long veil. 

After a year, Llull and Canovas had a new addition to their small family. On October 12, 2018, they had a baby daughter named Olivia Llull Canovas, who is quite adorned by their pet dog, Buddy. 

On June 5, 2020, the couple welcomed their second child, a daughter named Gabriela Llull Cánovas. 

Altogether, they make a happy family who is often seen going on vacations to different locations.

Social Media Presence

Sergio Llull is an active social media user who keeps his fan following updated. Most of his social media posts are related to his games, and he often posts pictures of his family.

You can find him on Instagram under the handle $23llull and on Twitter @23Llull.

Additionally, his wife is also an avid social media user, and you can get in touch through her Instagram handle @almusca.

Instagram: 394k followers

Twitter: 659.5k followers

Popularity

“The man who said no to the NBA” has gained a considerable amount of fans playing in the Liga ACB and EuroLeague.

The above graph portrays the popularity of Sergio Llull based on Google searches in the United States over a year.

Frequently Asked Questions