If we told you who has the biggest hands ever measured at the NBA Scouting Combine, you wouldn’t be surprised to learn it’s Tacko Fall, the 7-foot-6 former Boston Celtics big man whose hand length measures 10.5 inches.
But you’ll definitely be surprised to learn who’s second on that list: Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez.
That’s right: The 6-foot-6 guard from Spain posted a hand length of 10.25 inches at the 2025 NBA Combine, the second-longest measurement in combine history behind only Fall.
We should note that hand length data at the combine only dates back to 2010, and that Gonzalez’s 10.25 inches are tied with two other players: Dexter Pittman and his current Celtics teammate, Xavier Tillman. But we should also reiterate that Gonzalez is a guard and is still just 19 years old, which means he could grow even more.
Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg caught up with Boston’s 2025 first-round pick at Celtics Media Day to get the skinny on how Gonzalez’s massive mitts give him an extra edge.
“You don’t realize it, but I guess some blocks that I got were touching with the very last part of my fingers. That’s helped,” Gonzalez told Forsberg. “If you’re going to go for a steal, you have bigger hands (to snatch the ball).”
Gonzalez’s hands aren’t just large, either — they’re also extremely flexible, as he demonstrated to Forsberg by contorting his pinkie and thumb in various uncomfortable directions.
“It’s super elastic, so I can push (my pinkie back),” Gonzalez said. “I have elastic hands.”
Gonzalez put those hands into action right away in Boston’s first preseason game Wednesday night, racking up three blocks and a steal in the Celtics’ 121-103 win.
“As soon as you can impact the game defensively, making the correct feel, the correct things, I think that’s the most important thing apart from having big plays or something like that,” Gonzalez told reporters after the game. “Just being correct defensively, so you can help the team to the win.”
The young guard, who spent the last three seasons with Real Madrid and debuted with the Spanish club when he was 16, plays with a relentless motor and boasts impressive defensive upside that was on display Wednesday night. He also showed flashes offensively, finishing with eight points on 3-for-4 shooting with a 3-pointer.
Gonzalez is still raw, and his NBA development may take time. But it’s clear why the rookie’s effort and physical traits appealed to president of basketball operations Brad Stevens.
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