1. Early Career
Luis Scola began his basketball journey in Argentina and later transitioned to professional leagues in Spain, where he quickly made a name for himself.
1.1. Argentina and Spain
Scola started his career with the youth teams of Ferro Carril Oeste in his hometown of Buenos Aires. He made his professional debut with the club's senior team in the Argentine league during the 1995-96 season, at the age of 15. In 1998, after two professional seasons in Argentina, Scola moved to Spain and signed with Saski Baskonia. He was subsequently loaned to Gijón Baloncesto, a club then competing in the Spanish League Second Division (LEB). Scola played a crucial role in helping Gijón achieve promotion to the Spanish League First Division. He remained on loan with Gijón through the 1999-2000 season before joining his parent club, Baskonia.
2. Professional Career
Scola's professional career spanned over two decades, marked by significant achievements in Europe, the NBA, and Asian leagues.
2.1. Saski Baskonia
Scola spent seven successful seasons with Saski Baskonia (then known as Tau Ceramica) from 2000 to 2007. During his tenure, Baskonia reached the EuroLeague Finals in the 2000-01 season and made three consecutive EuroLeague Final Four appearances between 2005 and 2007. His exceptional performances earned him an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection in 2005, followed by two All-EuroLeague First Team selections in 2006 and 2007. Although he did not win the EuroLeague championship with Baskonia, Scola led the team to multiple major Spanish domestic titles. He won a Spanish ACB League championship in 2002, three Spanish King's Cups in 2002, 2004, and 2006, and three Spanish Supercups in 2005, 2006, and 2007. On November 3, 2023, Saski Baskonia honored Scola by retiring his jersey number 4.
2.2. NBA Career
Luis Scola embarked on a distinguished career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), playing for multiple teams over ten seasons. He was initially drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2002 NBA draft as the 56th overall pick in the second round. In the summer of 2005, the Spurs attempted to acquire Scola to pair him with fellow Argentine national team member Manu Ginóbili. They negotiated a buyout of his contract with Baskonia for over 3.00 M USD. However, due to NBA rules limiting teams to paying no more than 500.00 K USD of a player's buyout, Scola would have been responsible for the remaining 2.50 M USD, making the deal difficult. The Spurs ultimately signed another Argentine national team teammate, Fabricio Oberto, instead.
2.2.1. Houston Rockets
On July 12, 2007, the San Antonio Spurs traded the rights to Scola, along with center-forward Jackie Butler, to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Vassilis Spanoulis, a future second-round draft pick, and cash considerations. Scola signed a three-year contract with the Rockets for 9.50 M USD shortly after, with his 3.20 M USD buyout completed days later. In his rookie season (2007-08), Scola placed third in the NBA Rookie of the Year Award voting and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. On March 13, 2010, he recorded a career-high 44 points against the New Jersey Nets.
On December 8, 2011, on the eve of the end of the 2011 NBA lockout, a complex trade involving the Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and New Orleans Hornets was agreed upon. This deal would have sent Scola, along with Goran Dragić, Kevin Martin, and Lamar Odom to the Hornets, with the Rockets receiving Pau Gasol and the Lakers acquiring star point guard Chris Paul. However, after opposition from other team owners, league commissioner David Stern nullified the trade.
On July 13, 2012, Scola was waived by the Rockets using the league's amnesty clause to provide salary cap relief. This move was widely understood as an attempt by the Rockets to clear cap space to trade for former Orlando Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard. While Howard was ultimately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Rockets utilized the cleared cap space to acquire former Oklahoma City Thunder Sixth Man of the Year and Olympic gold medalist James Harden. In his five seasons with the Rockets, Scola averaged 14.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
2.2.2. Phoenix Suns
On July 15, 2012, Scola was claimed off amnesty waivers by the Phoenix Suns. The Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers had also reportedly expressed interest in acquiring him during the amnesty process. On November 21, 2012, Scola was relegated to playing off the bench for the first time in his NBA career since the start of his rookie season. He regained his starting spot less than a month later, and on December 29, he scored a season-high 33 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves. While Scola emerged as a leader for the Suns, he concluded the season with declining averages, with his 12.8 points per game being his lowest since the 2008-09 season.
2.2.3. Indiana Pacers
On July 27, 2013, the Suns traded Scola to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee, and a 2014 first-round draft pick (which became Bogdan Bogdanović). In his two seasons with the Pacers, Scola primarily served as a backup power forward to David West, starting only 18 games over his two-year tenure. He contributed to the team's success, helping them reach the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2014 season.
2.2.4. Toronto Raptors
On July 15, 2015, Scola signed a one-year contract worth 3.00 M USD with the Toronto Raptors. Despite rumors of a potential move to Real Madrid Baloncesto in the EuroLeague, Scola chose to remain in the NBA. He made his debut for the Raptors in their season opener on October 28, recording eight rebounds without taking any field goal attempts in a 106-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Scola played a key role in the Raptors' historic season, helping them reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016 for the first time in franchise history.
2.2.5. Brooklyn Nets
On July 13, 2016, Scola signed with the Brooklyn Nets. He made his debut for the Nets in their season opener on October 26, scoring eight points in a 122-117 loss to the Boston Celtics. Scola's final NBA game was played on February 13, 2017, in a 103-112 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, where he recorded four assists and four rebounds but no points in 15 minutes of playing time. He was subsequently waived by the Nets on February 27, 2017.
2.3. Chinese Basketball Association
Following his departure from the NBA, Luis Scola continued his professional career in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). On July 9, 2017, he signed with the Shanxi Brave Dragons. After one season with Shanxi, Scola moved to another CBA team, signing with the Shanghai Sharks on August 10, 2018, where he played for the 2018-19 season.
2.4. Lega Basket Serie A
After his time in China, Scola returned to Europe to play in the Italian Lega Basket Serie A. On September 29, 2019, Olimpia Milano head coach Ettore Messina announced that Scola had signed with the team for the remainder of the season. Scola departed Olimpia Milano on June 11, 2020. On July 1, 2020, Scola announced his intention to play at least one more year before retirement and signed with Pallacanestro Varese of the LBA for the 2020-21 season, with an option to extend for the following year. This marked his final professional playing season.
3. National Team Career
Luis Scola had an illustrious and extensive career representing the Argentine national basketball team at both junior and senior levels, becoming one of the most decorated players in the nation's history.
3.1. Junior National Teams
Scola achieved significant success with Argentina's junior national teams. He won a gold medal at the 1995 South American Cadet Championship, followed by another gold medal at the 1996 South American Junior Championship. In 2000, he earned a gold medal at the FIBA Americas Under-20 Championship, where he was also named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP). His junior career concluded with a bronze medal at the 2001 FIBA Under-21 World Cup, where he was also selected to the All-Tournament Team.
3.2. Senior National Team
Scola was a consistent and vital member of the senior Argentina national basketball team from 1999 until his retirement from international play in 2021. He amassed numerous medals and set several records throughout his career.
His medal haul includes:
- Silver medal at the 1999 South American Basketball Championship.
- Bronze medal at the 1999 FIBA Americas Championship.
- Gold medal at the 2001 FIBA Americas Championship.
- Silver medal at the 2002 FIBA World Championship.
- Silver medal at the 2003 FIBA Americas Championship.
- Gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, a historic achievement for Argentina.
- Silver medal at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, where he was named MVP.
- Bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
- Bronze medal at the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship, where he was both MVP and Top Scorer.
- Gold medal at the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship, earning MVP and Top Scorer honors again, and being selected to the All-Tournament Team.
- Bronze medal at the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship, where he was also named to the All-Tournament Team and was the Top Scorer.
- At the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship, Scola became the all-time leading scorer in FIBA AmeriCup history and won his fourth tournament MVP award, in addition to being selected to the All-Tournament Team and being the Top Scorer.
- Silver medal at the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup.
- Gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games.
- Silver medal at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Scola broke two significant records for the Argentina national team at the FIBA World Cup during the 2010 edition. He became the top overall scorer for Argentina at a World Cup, surpassing Ernesto Gehrmann's 331 points. Additionally, he set the record for most points scored for Argentina in a single World Cup game, with 37 points against Brazil in the round of 16, beating Alberto Desimone's 35 points from the 1963 tournament.
At the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Scola scored 135 points and grabbed 57 rebounds across seven matches, leading Argentina to the final. His 23 points against Nigeria in a preliminary round game in Wuhan brought his total World Cup career points to 611, surpassing Andrew Gaze's 594 points and placing him second only to Brazilian scoring legend Oscar Schmidt's 906 points in the tournament's history.
In his final Olympic appearance at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Scola scored a team-high 23 points in a preliminary round loss to Slovenia. In his final game at the 2020 Summer Olympics, against Australia, play was paused with less than a minute remaining as Scola was checked out of the game. Players from both teams, coaches, and everyone in the stadium gave him a standing ovation in a spontaneous display of respect for his remarkable career. The referees allowed this pause, recognizing the significance of the moment.
4. Awards and Honors
Luis Scola's career was marked by numerous individual and team accolades across various leagues and international competitions.
4.1. Club Awards
- Spanish League Champion: 2002
- 3× Spanish King's Cup Winner: 2002, 2004, 2006
- 3× Spanish Supercup Winner: 2005, 2006, 2007
- Spanish League Rookie of the Year: 2000
- Spanish Supercup Most Valuable Player (MVP): 2005
- All-EuroLeague Second Team: 2005
- 2× Spanish League MVP: 2005, 2007
- 4× All-Spanish League Team: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
- 2× All-EuroLeague First Team: 2006, 2007
- NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2008
- 2016 NBA Atlantic Division Sportsmanship Award
- No. 4 jersey retired by Saski Baskonia
4.2. National Team Awards
- 2000 FIBA Americas Under-20 Championship: MVP
- 2001 FIBA Under-21 World Cup: All-Tournament Team
- 2007 FIBA Americas Championship: MVP
- 2009 FIBA Americas Championship: MVP & Top Scorer
- 2010 FIBA World Championship: All-Tournament Team & Top Scorer
- 2011 FIBA Americas Championship: All-Tournament Team & MVP & Top Scorer
- 2013 FIBA Americas Championship: All-Tournament Team & Top Scorer
- 2015 FIBA Americas Championship: All-Tournament Team & MVP & Top Scorer
- 2019 FIBA World Cup: All-Tournament Team
5. Career Statistics
The following tables detail Luis Scola's career statistics in the NBA regular season, playoffs, and the EuroLeague.
5.1. NBA Statistics
5.1.1. Regular Season
| Year | Team | Games played | Games started | Minutes per game | FG% | 3P% | FT% | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Blocks per game | Points per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-08 | Houston | 82 | 39 | 24.7 | .515 | .000 | .668 | 6.4 | 1.3 | .7 | .2 | 10.3 |
| 2008-09 | Houston | 82 | 82 | 30.3 | .531 | .000 | .760 | 8.8 | 1.5 | .8 | .1 | 12.7 |
| 2009-10 | Houston | 82 | 82 | 32.6 | .514 | .200 | .779 | 8.6 | 2.1 | .8 | .3 | 16.2 |
| 2010-11 | Houston | 74 | 74 | 32.6 | .504 | .000 | .738 | 8.2 | 2.5 | .6 | .6 | 18.3 |
| 2011-12 | Houston | 66 | 66 | 31.3 | .491 | .000 | .773 | 6.5 | 2.1 | .5 | .4 | 15.5 |
| 2012-13 | Phoenix | 82 | 67 | 26.6 | .473 | .188 | .787 | 6.6 | 2.2 | .8 | .4 | 12.8 |
| 2013-14 | Indiana | 82 | 2 | 17.1 | .470 | .143 | .728 | 4.8 | 1.0 | .3 | .2 | 7.6 |
| 2014-15 | Indiana | 81 | 16 | 20.5 | .467 | .250 | .699 | 6.5 | 1.3 | .6 | .2 | 9.4 |
| 2015-16 | Toronto | 76 | 76 | 21.5 | .450 | .404 | .726 | 4.7 | .9 | .6 | .4 | 8.7 |
| 2016-17 | Brooklyn | 36 | 1 | 12.8 | .470 | .340 | .676 | 3.9 | 1.0 | .4 | .1 | 5.1 |
| Career | 743 | 505 | 25.6 | .493 | .339 | .740 | 6.7 | 1.6 | .6 | .3 | 12.0 | |
5.1.2. Playoffs
| Year | Team | Games played | Games started | Minutes per game | FG% | 3P% | FT% | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Blocks per game | Points per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Houston | 6 | 6 | 36.7 | .448 | .000 | .686 | 9.3 | 1.3 | .7 | .2 | 14.0 |
| 2009 | Houston | 13 | 13 | 32.6 | .494 | .000 | .673 | 8.4 | 1.8 | .5 | .2 | 14.4 |
| 2014 | Indiana | 17 | 0 | 13.9 | .465 | .333 | .591 | 2.5 | .5 | .4 | .2 | 6.1 |
| 2016 | Toronto | 11 | 9 | 12.7 | .258 | .190 | .727 | 1.6 | .6 | .3 | .0 | 2.5 |
| Career | 48 | 28 | 21.4 | .454 | .200 | .667 | 4.7 | 1.0 | .4 | .1 | 8.5 | |
5.2. EuroLeague Statistics
| Year | Team | Games played | Games started | Minutes per game | FG% | 3P% | FT% | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Blocks per game | Points per game | Performance Index Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | Baskonia | 22 | 5 | 18.3 | .547 | .000 | .538 | 4.4 | .7 | 1.0 | .1 | 8.7 | 7.0 |
| 2001-02 | 20 | 3 | 23.7 | .689 | .333 | .670 | 4.6 | 1.1 | 1.3 | .3 | 15.9 | 16.8 | |
| 2002-03 | 16 | 9 | 24.7 | .546 | - | .677 | 5.0 | 1.3 | .9 | .3 | 15.1 | 13.0 | |
| 2003-04 | 14 | 6 | 28.8 | .604 | - | .765 | 6.1 | 2.4 | 1.4 | .4 | 15.2 | 16.8 | |
| 2004-05 | 24 | 21 | 24.7 | .564 | .000 | .676 | 6.5 | 1.9 | 1.3 | .7 | 15.1 | 16.9 | |
| 2005-06 | 25 | 24 | 28.6 | .536 | .000 | .679 | 6.7 | 2.2 | 1.6 | .8 | 14.8 | 18.8 | |
| 2006-07 | 23 | 18 | 26.5 | .573 | .000 | .708 | 5.9 | 2.2 | .9 | .3 | 15.5 | 17.9 | |
| 2019-20 | Milano | 28 | 24 | 19.2 | .454 | .353 | .655 | 4.4 | 1.1 | .5 | .1 | 9.2 | 8.5 |
| Career | 172 | 110 | 24.5 | .560 | .316 | .670 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 1.1 | .4 | 13.4 | 14.3 | |
6. Post-playing Career
After concluding his playing career, Luis Scola transitioned into an administrative role within professional basketball. On September 20, 2021, Pallacanestro Varese, his final professional team, announced that Scola would rejoin the club as its Chief executive officer (CEO). This appointment marked his official retirement from playing and his immediate move into a leadership position.
7. Personal Life
Luis Scola is married to Pamela Scola, and together they have four children. In addition to his Argentine citizenship, Scola also holds a Spanish passport. On July 18, 2017, Scola was named an ambassador for the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics held in his hometown of Buenos Aires.